Policy Page
Feedback, Concerns, Comments and Complaints Policy
At Bite Dentistry our aim is to give the best possible care and treatment to our patients. We welcome feedback and comments about our services and aim to deal with any concerns or complaints promptly and efficiently. We regard all feedback, concerns, and complaints to evaluate our practices and implement changes to enhance our service to patients. All comments will be considered, and our procedures comply with the GDC Complaints Procedure.
Feedback, Comments and Concerns.
We want you to let us know if something is important to you, such as:
- What you think about the care and treatment you have received.
- What we have done well.
- Whether you have any concerns, e.g. about your appointment times or the facilities at the practice.
- If you have any suggestions to help us improve things.
- If you don’t understand something and need more information about our services.
Contact:
Our practice Feedback and Complaints contact is Emma Raynes, available by email at emma@bitedentistry.co.uk
You cannot use this complaints procedure:
If you are taking legal action about the issue you want to complain about.
Time limits:
Normally, you must make your complaint:
• Within 6 months of the event you want to complain about, but no longer than 12 months after the event, or
• Within 6 months of discovering you have a reason to complain.
How to make a complaint:
• You can complain in person, by phone or in writing.
• If you can, please first talk to a member of staff involved with your care. We will try to sort out the complaint on the spot.
• When making your complaint, please give:
Your full name and address (and the patient’s name if you are acting on behalf of someone else)
As much helpful information as possible about what happened, where it happened and when, and what you would like to have done about it
Your preferred method of communication
Consent from the patient, if you are making the complaint on behalf of the patient.
What we will do:
• We will try to resolve the complaint on the spot.
• If we cannot do this, we will write out to you within 3 working days with:
The action we will take to look into your complaint
Offer you the chance to talk to a member of staff
Let you know when we will respond (normally within 20 working days)
Give you information about advice and support available to help you with your complaint.
We will keep a record of your details and the complaint and use it to help improve our services, and for statistical purposes.
Our response:
We will investigate your complaint and write to you with a full response within 20 working days of receiving your complaint. If we are unable to keep to this timescale, we will let you know and tell you why.
Complaining on someone’s behalf.
You can complain about someone else if you:
• Have their consent to complain – we may require this in writing • Are a parent, guardian or main carer of a child and your child is not mature enough to understand how to complain • Have a welfare power of attorney or a welfare guardianship order for someone who cannot make decisions for themselves, and the order specifies that you have the power to make a complaint about healthcare • Are a relative of, or had a relationship with, a patient who has died and you are concerned about how they were treated before they died; or • Are acting as an advocate for the patient.
If you change your mind after making a complaint
You can change your mind about making a complaint at any time. Please let us know as soon as possible.
