Complaints Procedure

It is our aim at Brace Place to always have satisfied patients and to meet your expectations of care and service. If patients complain, they are treated courteously and promptly so that the matter is resolved as efficiently, effectively and politely as possible.

We take complaints very seriously, we investigate 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.

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.

The practice manager will be your personal contact to assist you with any complaints. If your verbal complaint is not resolved to your satisfaction within 24 hours or if you complain in writing, the practice manager will acknowledge it in writing within 3 working days and will aim to provide a full response in writing as soon as practical.We will aim to resolve your complaint within ten working days to give an explanation of the circumstances which led to the complaint. We will keep comprehensive and confidential records of your complaint, which will be stored securely and only be accessible only by those who need to know about your complaint.

If the complaint investigation takes longer than anticipated the practice manager will keep you informed of the reason for the delay, 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 and invited to a meeting to discuss the results. We welcome your feedback, comments, suggestions and complaints.

If you are not satisfied with our response to a complaint you can take it further, please see the contacts below.

Contacts

• The Care Quality Commission (CQC) who regulates private and NHS dental care services in England by calling 03000 616161 or www.cqc.org.uk. They can take action against a service provider that is not meeting their standards
• The General Dental Council is responsible for regulating all dental professionals. You can complain using their online form at www.gdc-uk.org contact them on information@gdc-org.uk or by calling 020 7167 6000.
• For private dental treatment 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 by calling 020 8253 0800 or visiting www.dentalcomplaints.org.uk