Complaints policy

We want every patient to be happy with their care. If something has gone wrong, or you think we could have done better, please tell us. We will listen, look into it properly and try to put things right. We also use what we learn to improve our service.

Making a complaint will not affect your care or how you are treated at the practice.

How to raise a concern or complaint

Many concerns can be sorted out quickly by talking to a member of the team, so please speak to us as soon as you can. If you would prefer to make a formal complaint, contact our Complaints Manager, Michael Pilling, the Practice Manager:

• By phone: 01425 277 245
• By letter: Complaints Manager, Hoburne Dental Practice, 104 Saffron Drive, Highcliffe, Christchurch, Dorset, BH23 4TG
• In person: at reception. You are welcome to make an appointment so that the Complaints Manager can give you enough time.

If the Complaints Manager is not available, we will take brief details and arrange a time for them to contact you. If the matter needs an immediate response, a senior member of the dental team will deal with it.

It helps if you can raise your complaint as soon as possible, ideally within 12 months of what happened or of when you became aware of the problem. If it is later than that, please still contact us.

Getting help

If you need help to make a complaint, for example because of a disability, difficulty reading or writing, or because English is not your first language, please tell us and we will help. You can also ask a relative, friend or advocate to make a complaint for you. We will need your permission before we can discuss your care with them.

What happens next

1. We acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days. We will confirm it in writing and send you a copy of this policy.
2. We agree how to keep you informed. We will offer to discuss your complaint and ask how you would like to hear from us: by phone, by letter or face to face.
3. We look into it. If your complaint is about your treatment or a fee, we will usually ask the dentist involved to look into it and contact you, unless you would rather they did not.
4. We aim to give you a full response within 10 working days. If we need longer, for example because we need information from someone else, we will tell you why and when you can expect to hear from us, and keep you updated.
5. We explain what we found. Our written response will explain how we looked into your complaint, what we concluded on each point, and anything we have done or will do to put things right.

We keep a confidential record of every complaint and what we did about it, separate from your dental records. We review complaints regularly so that we learn from them.

If you are not satisfied with our response

Please tell us, and we will see whether there is anything more we can do. If you are still not satisfied, you can contact the organisations below.

Dental Complaints Service (private dental care)

Our patients are treated privately, so the Dental Complaints Service can help. It is a free and impartial service, funded by the General Dental Council, that helps private dental patients and dental professionals resolve complaints.

• Telephone: 020 8253 0800 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)
• Website and online form: dcs.gdc-uk.org
• Post: Dental Complaints Service, Fifty Paddington, 50 Eastbourne Terrace, London W2 6LG

If you are a member of the Hoburne Dental Plan, your plan documents may also tell you about other help available to members.

General Dental Council (concerns about a dental professional)

If you believe a dentist or other dental professional is not fit to practise, for example because of serious concerns about their conduct, health or competence, you can tell the General Dental Council, which regulates dental professionals in the UK: gdc-uk.org.

Care Quality Commission

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) registers and inspects dental practices in England. It does not investigate individual complaints, but it wants to hear about your experience of care, as this helps it decide when and where to inspect. You can give feedback to the CQC online or call 03000 616161. You can also see our CQC profile.

Your personal information

If your complaint is about how we have handled your personal information, please see the "Concerns and complaints" section of our privacy policy.

Compliments and suggestions

We are always glad to hear what we are doing well, or how we could improve. Please tell any member of the team, phone us on 01425 277 245, or write to us at the address above.