Patient Complaints Procedure

It is our aim to always have satisfied patients, to meet your expectations of care and service and to
resolve any complaints as efficiently, effectively and politely as possible. We take complaints very
seriously, investigating them in a full and fair way and take great care to protect your confidentiality. We
learn from complaints to improve our care and service. We will never discriminate against patients who
have made a complaint and we will be happy to answer any questions you may have about this
procedure.

If you are not entirely satisfied with any aspect of our care or service, please let us know as soon as
possible to allow us to address your concerns promptly. We accept complaints made verbally as well as
written complaints.

Alistair Clack is the Complaints Manager and will be your personal contact to assist you with any
complaints.

You can send your complaints to 111 Shipdham road, Toftwood, Dereham, Norfolk, call us on 01362699342 or email the Complaints Manager on support@toftwooddentalpractice.co.uk.

If the Complaints Manager is unavailable, we will take brief details about the complaint and will arrange
for a meeting when it is suitable for you and the practice. We will keep comprehensive and confidential
records of your complaint, which will be stored securely and only be accessible by those who need to
know about your complaint. If the complaint investigation takes longer than anticipated, the Complaints
Manager will contact you at least every ten working days to keep you informed of the reason for any
delays, the progress of the investigation and the proposed date it will be completed.

When the investigation has been completed, you will be informed of its outcome in writing. We will
make our response clear, addressing each of your concerns as best as we can. You may also be invited to
a meeting to discuss the results and any practical solutions that we can offer to you. These solutions
could include replacing treatment, refunding fees paid, referring you for specialist treatments or other
solutions that meet your needs and resolve the complaint.

We regularly analyse patient complaints to learn from them and to improve our services. That’s why we
always welcome your feedback, comments, suggestions and complaints. If you are dissatisfied with our
response to a complaint you can take the matter further, please see the contacts below.

If you are dissatisfied with our response to a complaint you can contact the GDC private dental
complaints service within 12 months of the treatment or within 12 months of becoming aware of the
issue. Please see the contact details below.

Contacts

GDC private dental complaints service can be contacted by calling 020 8253 0800 or visiting
www.dentalcomplaints.org.uk. You can also contact The Care Quality Commission (CQC) who regulates
private and NHS dental care services in England by calling 03000 616161. They can take action against a
service provider that is not meeting their standards, who may be able to help. You can complain using
their online form at www.gdc-uk.org contact them on information@gdc-org.uk or by calling 020 71676000. We aim to resolve verbal complaints within 24 hours where possible, but if you complain in writing
the Complaints Manager will will send an acknowledgement letter within 3 working days and will aim to
provide a full response in writing as soon as practical.

Last modified: 17 Jul 2024