Complaints
Despite our best intentions, there is always the chance that a complaint may arise. It is important to have an understanding of the complaints process in both private and NHS dentistry.
The GDC highlight this in Standard 5 of the GDC Standards for the Dental Team which state:
“You must:
5.1 Make sure that there is an effective complaints procedure readily available for patients to use, and follow that procedure at all times.
5.2 Respect a patient’s right to complain.
5.3 Give patients who complain a prompt and constructive response.”
They have also issued guidance made in association with 28 organisations within the dental profession and created six core principles for handling patient complaints in practice:
All of your feedback is important to us.
We want to make it easy for you to raise a concern or complain, if you need to.
We follow a complaints procedure and keep you informed.
We will try to answer all your questions and any concerns you raise.
We want you to have a positive experience of making a complaint.
Your feedback helps us to improve our service.
You can find the complete guidance below:
You should make sure that your complaints procedure:
“5.1.5 Patients should also be able to easily access a complaints procedure for their dental practice. Again the expectations for this are set out in the GDC standards for the dental team:
is displayed where patients can see it - patients should not have to ask for a copy;
is clearly written in plain language and is available in other formats if needed;
is easy for patients to understand and follow;
provides information on other independent organisations that patients can contact to raise concerns;
allows you to deal with complaints promptly and efficiently;
allows you to investigate complaints in a full and fair way;
explains the possible outcomes; o allows information that can be used to improve services to pass back to your practice management or equivalent; and
respects patients’ confidentiality.”
Ideally once a complaint arises it will be dealt with locally. This involves acknowledging the complaint and responding to it within the time frame set out in your complaints policy. There should also be a designated complaints manager within your practice and log of the complaint and any correspondence or action taken in regard to it - this ought to be separate to the patient’s clinical notes.
You may need some time to deal with the complaint. The GDC recommend that if the process is protracted:
“5.3.6 If there are exceptional circumstances which mean that the complaint cannot be resolved within the usual timescale, you should give the patient regular updates (at least every 10 days) on progress.”
If the complaint cannot be resolved locally:
“5.3.11 If the patient is not satisfied despite your best efforts to resolve their complaint, you should tell them about other avenues that are open to them, such as the relevant Ombudsman for health service complaints or the Dental Complaints Service for complaints about private dental treatment.”
Ultimately complaints can lead to stress and anxiety but also provide the opportunity to reflect on current practices and to improve patient care. If a complaint does arise it is always recommended to contact your indemnity provider for guidance as they are best placed to offer advice on what steps to take going forward.
Resources:
https://www.gdc-uk.org/information-standards-guidance/standards-and-guidance/complaint-handling
Dental Protection Advice Booklet
BDA Complaints Handling Advice
https://www.theddu.com/guidance-and-advice/guides/effective-complaint-handling
https://www.theddu.com/guidance-and-advice/guides/complaints-in-the-private-sector
https://www.dentalprotection.org/uk/articles/eng-complaints-handling
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/nhse-complaints-policy-june-2017.pdf