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Complaints Policy

If you have a complaint or are concerned about the treatment you have received from the dentist or any of the staff working in this Practice, please let us know.  We have a Practice complaints procedure in place to deal with complaints, which meets the national criteria.

How to complain

We hope that most problems can be sorted out easily and quickly, often at the time they arise and with the person concerned.  If your problem cannot be sorted out in this way and you wish to make a complaint, let us know as soon as possible, ideally within a matter of days.  This will help us to find out what happened more easily.

Although you should make your complaint as soon as possible after the event we can consider complaints made within six months of the date of discovering the problem, provided this is within 12 months of the incident.  If it is clearly unreasonable in the circumstances to make a complaint earlier and where it is still possible to investigate the facts of the case; we can consider extending this time limit.

Complaints about the treatment you receive should be made to the dentist who normally sees you.  Alternatively, you may ask for an appointment with Aileen Campbell in order to discuss your concerns.  She will explain the complaints procedure to you and will ensure that your concerns are dealt with promptly.  It will greatly assist us if you are as specific as possible about your complaint

 

What shall we do?

We shall acknowledge your complaint, normally within two working days, and aim to have looked into your complaint within ten working days from the date that you raised it with us.  We shall then be in a position to offer you an explanation, or a meeting with those involved.  In investigating your complaint, we shall aim to:

Find out what happened and what went wrong
Enable you to discuss the problem with those concerned, if you would like this
Ensure you receive an apology, where this is appropriate and
Identify what we can do to make sure the problems does not happen again

 

Complaining on behalf of someone else

Please note that we keep strictly to the rules of confidentiality.  If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we have to know that you have their permission.  A note signed by the person concerned will be needed, unless they are incapable (because of illness) of providing this.

 

Complaining to your Health and Social Services Board

We hope that if you have a problem, you will make use of our practice complaints procedure.  We believe this will provide the best chance of putting right whatever has gone wrong and an opportunity to improve our Practice.  But this does not affect your right to approach your Health and Social Services Board or the Northern Ireland ombudsman; if you feel you cannot raise your complaint with us or you are dissatisfied with the result of our investigation; you should contact the Board’s Complaints officer for further advice.

For those patients who have a complaint regarding treatment they have received, may also contact the Health and Social Services Board or the General Dental Council for help.  Their address and phone numbers are as follows:

Complaints Office (NHS treatment only)            Dental Complaints Service (Private treatment only)                            

Health and Social Care Board HQ            Stephenson House                   

12 – 22 Linenhall Street                            2 Cherry Orchard Rd                

Belfast                                                       Croydon                   

BT2 8BS                                                   CR0 6BA

Tel: (028) 90321313                                 Tel: 08456 120 540                  

Email: complaints.hscb@hscni.net           Email: info@dentalcomplaints.org.uk    

www.hscboard.hscni.net 

 

General Dental Council

37 Wimpole Street

London

W1G 8DQ

Tel: 02078873800

www.gdc-uk.org 

 

If you remain dissatisfied with the result of the complaint investigation you can contact:

The Northern Ireland Ombudsman

Freepost BEL 1478

Belfast

BT1 6BR

Tel; 02890233821

www.ombudsman@ni-ombudsman.org.uk

 

For patients registered with this Practice and with denplan can contact Denplan for advice.  

Tel: 08001697220

 

This Practice is registered with the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority 9th Floor, Riverside Tower, 5 Lanyon Place, Belfast. 

Tel: 0289051750

www.rqia.org.uk 

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