Patient feedback is an important part of maintaining and improving a dental service. At Smile Solutions, concerns should be listened to carefully, handled fairly and used as an opportunity to understand where the patient experience can be improved.
Patients should feel able to raise a concern about treatment, communication, administration or any other aspect of their experience. Raising a complaint should not affect the standard of care provided.
Where possible, concerns can often be resolved quickly when they are raised directly with the practice. More complex matters may require a formal investigation and written response.
1. Contact the practice and explain the concern as clearly as possible.
2. Include relevant details such as appointment dates, treatment involved and the people involved where known.
3. Explain what aspect of the experience did not meet your expectations and, where appropriate, what outcome you are seeking.
4. Allow the practice time to review the records, speak to relevant team members and investigate the matter.
5. The practice should respond through its current formal complaints procedure and explain any further steps available if the matter is not resolved.
Complaints should be handled sensitively and in confidence. The purpose of the process is to understand the concern, establish the relevant facts and respond fairly rather than becoming defensive.
Clinical concerns may require review of records, radiographs, photographs or an examination so that the practice can provide an informed response.
Complaints can provide valuable perspective. Constructive feedback can identify weaknesses in communication, systems or service and help the practice make changes.
Positive feedback and suggestions are also useful. Patients often see aspects of the service that are less visible to the team delivering it every day.
The complaints process is not a substitute for urgent dental care. Patients experiencing significant pain, swelling, bleeding, trauma or another acute clinical problem should contact the practice or the appropriate urgent dental service promptly rather than waiting for a complaint to be processed.
Patients should be given clear information about who to contact, expected response times and any relevant external escalation routes if a complaint cannot be resolved within the practice.
Those operational details should be checked against the practice’s current complaints policy before this page goes live.
Complex clinical case studies are best presented separately from the complaints process, with appropriate patient consent and enough clinical context to explain the treatment responsibly.
A complaint should be handled fairly and should not reduce the standard of care you receive.
Include your contact details, relevant dates, a clear description of the concern and any information that may help the practice investigate.
Seek clinical advice promptly. The administrative complaints process should not delay urgent assessment or treatment.
The practice should provide the current designated complaints contact so that patients know exactly where to direct a formal concern.
