Complaints Procedure

At Pontcanna Dental Care we take complaints seriously and we aim to ensure that all our patients are pleased with their experience of our service. When patients complain, they are dealt with courteously and promptly so that the matter is resolved as quickly as possible. If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received, please let us know.

In responding to a complaint we aim to treat you the way we would like to be treated if we were in your position. We learn from every complaint that is made and we respond to customers concerns in a caring and sensitive way. We hope that most issues can be resolved easily and quickly, often at the time that they arise. If the issue cannot be resolved this way and you wish to make a complaint, please follow the procedure below.

The person responsible for dealing with any complaint about the service which we provide: Grant Bignell - Practice Manager

If a patient complains on the telephone or at Reception, we will listen to their complaint and offer to refer them to Grant Bignell immediately. If Grant Bignell is not available at the time, then the patient will be told when they will be able to talk to him and arrangements will be made for this to happen. The member of staff will take brief details of the complaint and pass them on. If we cannot arrange this within a reasonable timeframe or if the patient does not wish to wait to discuss the matter, arrangements will be made for someone else to deal with it.

If the patient complains in writing the letter will be passed on immediately to Grant Bignell.

If a complaint is about any aspect of clinical care or associated charges it will normally be referred to the dentist, unless the patient has stipulated that they do not want this to happen.

We will acknowledge the patient’s complaint in writing and enclose a copy of this Code of Practice as soon as possible, within 3 working days. We will seek to investigate the complaint within 10 working days of receipt to give an explanation of the circumstances which led to the complaint, or a meeting with the people involved. If it is not possible to resolve the complaint within this timeframe, we will inform you and let you know when it is likely to be resolved.

When we investigate your complaint, we shall aim to:

• Find out what happened and what went wrong
• Make it possible for you to discuss the problem with those concerned (if you would like this)
• Make sure you receive an apology where this is appropriate
• Identify what we can do to make sure the problem doesn’t happen again
• We will confirm the decision about the complaint in writing immediately after completing our investigation and inform you using your preferred contact method
• Proper and comprehensive records are kept of any complaint received

Please note that we strictly adhere to the rules of clinical confidentiality. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we must know that you have their permission to do so. A note signed by the person concerned will be needed unless they are incapable (because of physical and/or mental illness) of providing this.

Complaints should be made within 12 months of the incident or when the complainant first discovered the problem.

If patients are not satisfied with the result of our procedure then a complaint may be made to:

• General Dental Council, Wimpole Street, London, W1G 8DQ
• Dental Complaints Service (0845 612 0540)
• Health Inspectorate Wales (0300 062 8163)