Complaints Procedure

Brij Dhody Dental Practice take complaints very seriously and try to ensure that all our patients are pleased with their experience of our service.

When patients complain, they are dealt with courteously and promptly so that the matter is resolved as quickly as possible.

Our aim is to react to complaints in the way in which we would want our complaint about a service to be handled. We learn from every mistake that we make and we respond to customers’ concerns in a caring and sensitive way.

1. The person responsible for dealing with any complaint about the service which we provide is Dr B Dhody.
2. If a patient complains on the telephone or at the reception desk, we will listen to their complaint and offer to refer him or her to the Practice Manager .If not available at the time, then the patient will be told when they will be able to talk to the dentist and arrangements will be made for this to happen.
3. The member of staff will take brief details of the complaint or ask the patient to fill in one of our ‘LETS BE FRANK’ leaflets available in the reception area and this information will be passed on. If we cannot arrange this within a reasonable period or if the patient does not wish to wait to discuss the matter, arrangements will be made for someone else to deal with it.
4. If the patient complains in writing the letter will be passed on immediately to Dr Brij Dhody.
5. If a complaint is about any aspect of clinical care or associated charges it will normally be referred to the dentist, unless the patient does not want this to happen.
6. We will acknowledge the patient’s complaint in writing and enclose a copy of this code of practice as soon as possible, normally within three working days. We will seek to investigate the complaint within ten working days of receipt to give an explanation of the circumstances which led to the complaint. If the patient does not wish to meet us, then we will attempt to talk to them on the telephone. If we are unable to investigate the complaint within ten working days we will notify the patient, giving reasons for the delay and a likely period within which the investigation will be completed.
7. We will confirm the decision about the complaint in writing immediately after completing our investigation.
8. Proper and comprehensive records are kept of any complaint received.
9. If patients are not satisfied with the result of our procedure then a complaint may be made to:

• Time2Talk
  NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board (ICB) Civic Centre
  St Peter’s Square
  Wolverhampton
  WV1 1SH
  Tel: 0300 0120 281
  Email: bcib.time2talk@nhs.net

• The Dental Complaints Service

FOR COMPLAINTS ABOUT PRIVATE TREATMENT 

Contact:

The General Dental Council

Email: info@dentalcomplaints.org.uk

Tel: 020 8253 0800 local rate (Mon – Fri 9am – 5pm) (Funded by GDC)

Write to:

The General Dental Council
Dental Complaints Service
37 Wimpole Street, London,
W1G 8DQ

Or

Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman

Tel: 0345 015 4033

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
30 Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP
www.ombudsman.org.uk

For complaints about a Financial Conduct Authority regulated activity

If you have a complaint regarding an FCA regulated activity  please be aware that we will hand it over to Citrus Compliance, our Appointed Representative Principal, who will handle your complaint in accordance with the FCA regulations. If more than 8 weeks from the date of the complaint has passed and you haven’t received a final response, or are dissatisfied with the final response received (at any stage of the process), you can refer the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

Contact:  The Financial Ombudsman Service, Exchange Tower, London E14 9SR
Tel: 0800 023 4567 (free for most people calling from a fixed line) or 0300 123 9123 (cheaper for those using a mobile) or 020 7964 0500 (if calling from abroad)
Email: complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.uk
Website: www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk

FOR COMPLAINTS ABOUT NHS TREATMENT

How you make a complaint about Primary Health Service is changing on the 1st July 2023 

You have the right to make a complaint about any aspect of NHS care, treatment or service, this is written into the NHS Constitution on GOV.UK.
From 1 July 2023 the way you make a complaint about primary care services to the commissioner is changing.

By primary care services we mean GPs, dentists, opticians or pharmacy services.

There are two ways you can make a complaint:

1. You can make a complaint about the service you received at our practice directly to us. To do this please contact reception who will be able to assist you with your complaint.

2. You can complain to the commissioner of the service: this is the organisation that paid for the service or care you received.

After 1 July 2023 if you want to make a complaint about primary care services to the commissioner you will now contact the Black Country Integrated Care Board instead of NHS England.

You can do this by:

Telephone: 0300 0120 281
Email: bcicb.time2talk@nhs.net
Writing to us at: Time2Talk, NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board (ICB) Civic Centre, St Peter’s Square, Wolverhampton, WV1 1SH

If you want to make a complaint directly to the provider of the primary care service, you still can – that does not change on the 1 July 2023.  Please see the Black Country ICB Compliments, concerns and complaints leaflet here.

ONGOING COMPLAINTS

If you have an ongoing complaint placed on or after 1 July 2022, you will receive a letter from NHS England informing you that the Black Country ICB is now handling your complaint, this will include confirmation of your case handler.

If you have an ongoing complaint placed before 1 July 2022, you will receive a letter from NHS England informing you that your complaint is being retained by NHS England, this will include confirmation of your case handler.

For more information visit the Time2Talk Customer Services page on our website.

Please download our Complaints Procedure Leaflet here

Version – 8 January 2024
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