What are my rights?

If your not happy with the care or treatment you’ve received or you’ve been refused treatment for a condition, you have the right to complain, have your complaint investigated, and be given a full and prompt reply.

Who should I complain to?

There are two ways to complain the first way is directly to our practice, you can put your complaint in writing or phone and ask to speak to one of our practice Managers. Who will then inform the principle and investigate your complaint. If you complain in writing you will be sent an acknowledgement letter within 48 hrs wherever possible and then your complaint will be investigated within a reasonable time.

We can also arrange a meeting to talk about your complaint if that is what you prefer.

Our Complaints Manager is Julie Hodder and is available Monday Tuesday & Thursdays.

If you do not wish to complain to us then you can make a complaint to NHS.England North East Commissioning Team who are responsible for dental and ophthalmic services in our area.

You may contact them by phone 03003 112233 this is also an advice line.

Or by email: England.contactus@nhs.net
You can only complain to the practice or NHS England not both.

THE NHS Constitution explains your rights when it comes to making a complaint . You have the right to:

Have your complaint dealt with efficiently, promptly investigated, Know the outcome of any investigation into your complaint, Take your complaint to the independent Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsmen if you’re not satisfied with the way the NHS has dealt with your complaint, Make a claim for judicial review if you think you’ve been directly affected by an unlawful act or decision of an NHS body, and Receive compensation when you’ve been harmed.

When should I complain?

As soon as possible. Complaints should normally be made within 12 months of the date of the event that you’re complaining about, or as soon as the matter first came to your attention. The time limit can be sometimes extended ( so long as it’s still possible to investigate the complaint). An extension might be possible, such as situations where it would have been difficult for you to complain earlier, for example, when you were grieving or undergoing trauma.

Where do I start?

Since April 2009, the NHS has run a simple complaints process, which has two stages.

1 Ask your dentist or trust for a copy of its complaints procedure, which will explain how to proceed. Your first step will normally be to raise the matter ( in writing or by speaking to them) with the practice complaints manager, practice manager or the dentist concerned.

Or if you choose to complain to NHS England they will have a Complaints team.

This is called local resolution, and most cases are resolved at this stage.

2 If you’re still unhappy, you can refer the matter to the (PHSO) PARLIAMENTARY AND HEALTH SERVICE OMBUDSMAN, who is independent of the NHS and government. You can call 0345 015 4033 or use the secure online form.
(https://ombudsman.achieveservice.com/module/home?) to raise your complaint (this only applies to NHS services in England).

Complaining about private dental treatment

If you wish to make a complaint about private dental services, contact the practice manager of the private practice. Your complaint must be within 12 months of receiving treatment.

If your complaint is not resolved satisfactorily, you may want to consider contacting the GENERAL DENTAL COUNCIL (https://www.gdc-uk.org/), which sets standards of conduct and regulates all dental professionals in the UK. It may be able to investigate your concerns.

You can also contact the Dental Complaints Service (https://www.dentalcomplaints.org.uk/)

On 0208 253 0800(Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) or visit its website for more information.