Complaints procedure
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. You can send your complaints in writing to Crossbank Dental Care, 10 Captain French Lane, Kendal, Cumbria, LA9 4HP, email them to us at admin@crossbankdental.com , or call us on 01539 720820.
The person responsible for dealing with any complaint about the service we provide is Bex Cooper, the Practice Manager. If you share your complaint with us over the telephone or at the reception desk, we will listen to your complaint and offer to refer you to the Practice Manager. If the Practice Manager is unavailable, then we will take brief details about the complaint and we will notify you as soon as possible to arrange a convenient time for you both to talk.
If a complaint is made in writing, we will send an acknowledgement letter or email within 3 working days and will aim to provide a full response in writing as soon as practicably possible.
If a complaint is about any aspect of clinical care or associated charges, the Practice Manager will normally refer the complaint and discuss it with the practice's principal clinician and/or the clinician(s) concerned.
We will acknowledge your complaint in writing and enclose a copy of this 'Patient Complaints Procedure' as soon as possible. We will seek to investigate the complaint within 14 working days of the complaint being received and 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 to those who need to know about your complaint. If the complaint investigation takes longer than anticipated, we will contact you at least every 10 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 if and as best as we can. You will also be invited, either in-person or via a telephone conversation, 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 is 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 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. Please see the contact details below.
Contacts
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.
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.