Complaints Procedure

Objectives

This policy and procedure is based on these objectives. We learn from every mistake that we make and we respond to patient concerns in a caring and sensitive way. We have a named staff member responsible for dealing with any complaint about the service which we provide.

At Neyo we are constantly striving to improve and to provide an exceptional service. Feedback is an essential part of this, so if you have suggestions about how we could improve then please let us know. We would also appreciate any compliments about our service, as these can also be used to continue to improve and provide the best possible service to our patients.

The complaints process

It is our aim to always have satisfied patients, to meet your expectations of care and service, and to resolve any complaints as efficiently, effectively, and politely as possible. We take complaints very seriously, investigating 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 and we will be happy to answer any questions you may have about this procedure.

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. We accept complaints made verbally as well as written complaints.

Our Management Team acts as Complaints Manager and will be your personal contact to assist you with any complaints. We aim to resolve verbal complaints within 24 hours where possible, but if you complain in writing the Complaints Manager will send an acknowledgement letter within 3 working days and will aim to provide a full response in writing as soon as practical.

You can send your complaints to 24 Church Road, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 9AE or call us on 01444 523143. You can also email the Complaints Manager on info@neyodental.co.uk.

If the Complaints Manager is unavailable, we will take brief details about the complaint and will arrange for a meeting when it is suitable for you and the practice. We will keep comprehensive and confidential records of your complaint, which will be stored securely and only be accessible to those who need to know about your complaint. If the complaint investigation takes longer than anticipated, the Complaints Manager will contact you at least every ten working days to keep you informed of the reason for any delays, 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. We will make our response clear, addressing each of your concerns as best as we can. You will also be invited to a meeting to discuss the results and any practical solutions that we can offer to you. These solutions could include replacing treatment, refunding fees paid, referring you for specialist treatments, or other solutions that meet your needs and resolve the complaint.

We regularly analyse patient complaints to learn from them and to improve our services. That’s why we always welcome your feedback, comments, suggestions, and complaints. If you are dissatisfied with our response to a complaint, you can take the matter further, please see the contacts below.

If you are dissatisfied

If you are dissatisfied with our response to a complaint, 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.

Contacts

The GDC private dental complaints service can be contacted by calling 020 8253 0800 or visiting www.dentalcomplaints.org.uk.

You can also contact the Care Quality Commission (CQC) who regulates private and NHS dental care services in England by calling 03000 616161. They can take action against a service provider that is not meeting their standards and may be able to help.

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 at information@gdc-org.uk, or by calling 020 7167 6000.

Roles and responsibilities

All staff

It is acknowledged that all staff working within Neyo could be presented with a Patient wishing to raise a concern or complaint at any time. Therefore, staff need to be able to manage this in a sensitive, structured and timely manner. In order to do this staff will:

• Be trained on induction and as a routine measure to ensure that knowledge is embedded and refreshed around the complaints procedure
• Have access to the complaints procedure
• Be provided with the opportunity to reflect and learn from complaints as a means of developing and driving quality care
• Appreciate that any feedback from Patients or their representatives that is of concern needs immediate resolution, where possible, to their satisfaction
• Be clearly advised that, on presentation of a complaint, swift escalation to management is necessary and purposefully withholding or concealing concerns expressed by Patients or their representatives could lead to disciplinary action

Management team at Neyo

The management team at Neyo is responsible for ensuring compliance with this policy, for regulations, for improvement planning and having arrangements in place to provide relevant reports and information regarding complaints is the main point of contact for the receipt, investigation and management of complaints within Neyo.

• However, this could be delegated to a senior member of staff within Neyo who has the experience, knowledge and competence to investigate and manage complaints
• Neyo will ensure that the procedure for raising a complaint is accessible

Seeking views and engaging with patients

• Neyo will seek out opportunities to obtain feedback from Patients and stakeholders.
• Neyo will act with sensitivity, integrity and professionalism by treating individuals who do raise a suggestion with compassion, courtesy and respect.

Consent for feedback and opinions will be required for all feedback requested from individuals. It is an individual’s right to not to participate with workplace ongoing feedback requests. Permission will be sought, alongside full explanations of the aim of feedback requests to ensure that understanding is clear.

Compliments and suggestions

Neyo welcomes compliments and suggestions and recognises their importance in celebrating and recognising the success of its service and opportunities for improvement. It will engage with a wide range of stakeholders in addition to Patients to support service development and improvement. It will share feedback with its staff.

Safeguarding concerns

Where a complaint or concern is raised that relates to a Patient being harmed or likely to be harmed, Neyo will follow the Safeguarding Policy and Procedure at Neyo in addition to the complaints procedures, seeking advice and guidance from the Safeguarding Adults Team and raising a safeguarding notification where required. Neyo will also notify the CQC in line with its statutory duty.

Raising complaints

A complaint can be received by Neyo either verbally or in writing and can be made by:

• Patients
• Someone acting on behalf of a patient and with their written consent, e.g. an advocate, relative, Member of Parliament
• Someone acting on behalf of a patient who is unable to represent his or her own interests, provided this does not conflict with the patient’s right to confidentiality or a previously expressed wish of the patient

Neyo should ensure that patients are given information on how to make a complaint and the process once a complaint has been made, including any agreed timescales.