Complaints Policy

Introduction

Our commitment to you

We are committed to providing a high standard of care and service. If you are unhappy with any aspect of your experience, please let us know so we can put things right.

We take all concerns and complaints seriously. We will:

• Listen and treat you with respect
• Handle your complaint fairly and confidentially
• Keep a record of the concern and use feedback to improve our service

Raising a concern or complaint will not affect your ongoing care or treatment.

How to raise a concern or complaint

You can share your concern or make a complaint in a way that suits you:

• Speak to us in person or call: 01784 454899
• Write to us at: Thorpe Road, Staines, Surrey, TW18 3EQ
• Email: reception@thorpeleadental.com

The person responsible for managing complaints is the Registered Manager, Colin Houston.

If your concern relates to the Registered Manager, you can speak to any member of our team, who will ensure it is passed to the appropriate person. Alternative arrangements are in place to ensure your concern is handled fairly.

If you prefer, you can ask someone to raise a complaint on your behalf, such as a family member or representative.

What happens next?

We will acknowledge your concern

We aim to acknowledge your complaint as soon as possible, and not later than 3 working days after we receive it.

At this stage, an offer to discuss your complaint will be provided. This is a chance for you to understand:

• How your complaint will be handled
• The investigation period
• When a response can be expected

You may choose whether to have this discussion or decline it.

Early resolution

Where possible, we aim to resolve your concern quickly.

Investigation

If your concern is more complex or cannot be resolved straight away, we will carry out a full investigation. We will:

• Look into your concerns fairly and carefully
• Keep you updated on progress (usually every 10 days)

Our response

After investigating your complaint, we will write to you to explain:

• What we have looked at
• What we found
• Any action we have taken or will take

We aim to respond as soon as possible, and not later than 6 months, unless we have agreed a different timeframe with you. If there are any delays, we will let you know and explain why.

Time limits for making a complaint

It is usually helpful to raise your complaint:

• Within 12 months of the event, or
• Within 12 months of becoming aware of the issue

If you contact us after this time, we will still consider your complaint, but we may not be able to resolve it if it cannot be investigated fairly and effectively due to the time that has passed.

If you are not satisfied

We hope to resolve your concerns, but if you remain unhappy, you can obtain further support from:

• Dental Complaints Service (complaints regarding private treatments)
  Tel: 020 8253 0800
  Web: www.dentalcomplaints.org.uk
• The Care Quality Commission (concerns about the practice)
  Tel: 03000 616161
  Web: www.cqc.org.uk
• General Dental Council (concerns about a dental professional)
  Tel: 020 7167 6000
  Web: www.gdc-uk.org

Support is also available for concerns relating to financial matters. Please speak to a member of staff for further details.