COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

Smile Sensation’s biggest aim is to create a safe and happy environment for both staff and patients. We try our upmost hardest to provide our patients with the highest standards of care and professionalism.

 We appreciate feedback from our patients to know where we can improve on. 

 However, Should you feel dissatisfied with any aspect of your care please contact the Practice Manager: Paige Kelly or the Principle dentist: Dr Punam Burmi.

 The contact details are: • 02083031422 • reception@smilesensations.co.uk • Smile Sensations 268-270 Days Lane Sidcup DA15 8PG

MAKING A SUGGESTION 

Often people feel more comfortable suggesting improvements when complaining formally. Suggestions can be made by anyone receiving service or their friends/family. To make a suggestion you can: • Speak to the manager or principle dentist • Utilise available comments or suggestion boxes. 

 MAKING A COMPLAINT 

 We aim to handle complaints quickly, effectively and in a fair and honest way. We take all complaints seriously and use valuable information from investigating to help us improve the service we provide. We treat all complaints in confidence. Smile Sensations assures patients and their families that it will not withdraw or reduce services because someone makes a complaint in good faith. 

 WHO CAN COMPLAIN? 

Anyone affected by the way Smile Sensations provides services can make a complaint. 

A representative can make a complaint for the affected person if they: 

• Have died 

• Cannot make the complaint themselves 

• Have given consent for the representative to act on their behalf 

 HOW YOU CAN MAKE A COMPLAINT 

You can complain: 

• In person, by telephone, through a member of staff or through a representative. 

 Where someone complains verbally, we will make a written record and provide a copy of it within 3 working days, by letter or/and by email. 

 ANONYMOUS COMPLAINTS 

We deal with anonymous complaints in the same way. However, it should be noted that, if you provide us your contact details, we can update you on the outcome of our investigation. 

 RESPONSIBILITY 

 The registered manager has overall responsibility for dealing with all complaints made about their service. 

We will provide, as far as reasonably practical: 

• Any help you need to understand the complaints procedure 

• Advice on where you may get that help

 • Information about making a complaint in a way you can understand 

 HOW WE HANDLE COMPLAINTS 

The registered manager may ask one of the management team to investigate the complaint. That person will have enough seniority and experience to deal with the issues raised by the complainant. 

 We will acknowledge a complaint within 3 working days and give you the name and contact details of the person investigating it. 

We will keep you informed about the progress of the investigation. We aim to have all complaints finished within 28 working days unless we agree a different time scale with you. 

 When we have finished investigating, we will arrange to meet with you to discuss the outcome, and write to you with details of the findings, any action we have and our proposals to resolve your complaint. 

 TIME LIMITS

You should complain as soon as you can after the date on which the event took place or came to your notice. If you complain more than 12 months later we may not be able to investigate properly. However, we will consider whether you had a good reason for not making the complaint sooner and whether, despite the delay, it is still possible to investigate the complaint effectively and fairly. 

 FURTHER STEPS 

At any stage during the process, if you are not happy with the way the service is dealing with your complaint you can contact the registered manager at: 

Smile Sensations 268-270 Days Lane Sidcup DA15 8PG, 02083031422, reception@smilesensations.co.uk 

 Once we have dealt with your complaint, If you are not happy with the outcome you can refer your complaint to the dental complaints services for private dental care or the General Dental Council for private and/or NHS dental Care. 

 The services of Smile Sensations are registered with, and regulated by, the Care Quality Commission. The CQC cannot get involved in individual complaints about providers but is happy to receive information about services at any time. You can contact the CQC at: National Correspondence, Care Quality Commission, National Correspondence, City Gate, Gallowgate, New Castle, Upon Tyne, NE1 4PA, 03000616161 Website: www.cqc.org.uk