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Complaints

Feedback, Concerns, Comments and Complaints Policy – Information for Patients

At Blairdaff Dental our aim is to give the best possible care and treatment to our patients. We welcome feedback and comments about our services and aim to deal with any concerns or complaints promptly, courteously and efficiently.

We take steps to make patients aware of how they can give feedback or make a complaint and where they can obtain support for making a complaint. We consider all feedback, comments, concerns and complaints as a positive way of looking at what we do and making changes to improve our service to patients. If we cannot resolve matters in the way you want, we will explain why it is not possible to do as you suggest.

All views, even those that are anonymous, will be taken seriously and our procedures are in line with the NHS Scotland Model Complaints Handling Procedure 2017.

 
Responsibilities

The practice Feedback and Complaints Officer is Mrs Louise Murray. They are responsible for the management and handling of feedback, comments, concerns and complaints and for seeing complaints through to resolution.

Feedback, Comments and Concerns

We want you to let us know if something is important to you, such as:

  • What you think about the care and treatment you have received;

  • What we have done well;

  • Whether you have any concerns, e.g. about your appointment times or the facilities at the practice;

  • If you have any suggestions to help us improve things;

  • If you don’t understand something and need more information about our services.

You can tell us by:

  • Talking to any member of staff;

  • Emailing or writing a letter to our postal address: Blairdaff Dental, Unit 1 Dalfling Farm, Blairdaff AB51 5LA.

We will use the information you give us to improve the services we provide.

How to make a complaint:

  • You can complain in person, by phone, online or in writing. Please note that if you email other people may be able to see your personal information.

  • If you can, please first talk to a member of staff involved with your care. We will try to sort out the complaint on the spot.

  • If you are unable to talk to the member of staff involved with your care, ask to speak to Louise Murray our Feedback and Complaints Officer.

  • If you don’t want to complain to anyone in the practice, you can contact our regulator at Health Care Improvement Scotland.

When making your complaint, please give:

  • Your full name and address*

  • The full name, address and date of birth of the patient, if you are complaining on behalf of someone else;

  • As much helpful information as possible about what happened, where it happened and when, and what you would like to have done about it;

  • Your preferred method of communication; and

  • Permission from the patient, if you are making the complaint on behalf of the patient.

You can make an anonymous complaint but this is likely to limit the ability of the practice to resolve it.

Confidentiality

  • We will keep information about your complaint confidential. We may have to talk to other staff or show them your dental record. If you do not want us to share information from your dental record, please tell us when you make your complaint, but bear in mind this may make it more difficult to look into your complaint.

  • We will keep a record of your details and the complaint and use it to help improve our services, and for statistical purposes.

What we will do:

We have a two stage complaints handling procedure. We will always consider if a complaint can be dealt with at Stage 1 first. If we think the complaint is too complex or serious and needs to be investigated we will go straight to Stage 2. You also have the right for ask for an investigation (without going through Stage 1).

Stage 1: Early Resolution

  • We always aim to resolve complaints quickly and close to where we provide the service. Where appropriate this could mean an on-the-spot apology and explanation if something has clearly gone wrong, and immediate action to resolve the problem.

  • We will make you aware of this complaints policy and where you can turn to for support for making a complaint (see Contacts).

  • Sometimes we will need to make some enquiries before we can respond to your complaint. If this is the case, we will give you our response within 5 workings days using your preferred method of communication.

  • In exceptional circumstances, an additional 5 working days may be needed to respond to your complaint, but we will keep you informed of this and will only apply this extension with your agreement.

  • We will meet with you to discuss the matter if you prefer. You may bring someone with you to the meeting.

  • If you are not happy with our Stage 1 response to your complaint, you can ask for an investigation (see Stage 2 – Investigation below).

  • Where appropriate, we will offer to discuss your complaint with you to understand why you remain dissatisfied following our response to your complaint.

Stage 2 – Investigation

We will use the Investigation stage where:

  • Your complaint is complex and we believe it requires detailed investigation; or

  • You are not satisfied with our Stage 1 Early Resolution response to your complaint; or

  • You ask for an immediate investigation.

Process:

  • We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint in writing within 3 working days.

  • We will tell you what action we will take to look into the complaint.

  • We will let you know where you can find support for making a complaint.

  • We will respond to the complaint within 20 working days in writing and using your preferred method of communication, if that is different. If we are unable to keep to this timescale we will let you know and tell you why, and agree revised time limits with you.

Our response will let you know the result of the investigation. We will:

  • Show that we have looked into your complaint and reply to all the points you make;

  • Offer an apology if things have gone wrong;

  • Explain what we will do to stop what you complained about happening again;

  • If necessary, explain why we cannot do anything more about some parts of your complaint;

  • Offer you the chance to talk to a member of staff if there is anything in the letter you do not understand.

Complaining on someone’s behalf

You can complain for someone else if you:

  • Have their consent to complain – we may require this in writing;

  • Are a parent, guardian or main carer of a child and your child is not mature enough to understand how to complain;

  • Have a welfare power of attorney or a welfare guardianship order for someone who cannot make decisions for themselves, and the order specifies that you have the power to make a complaint about healthcare;

  • Are a relative of, or had a relationship with, a patient who has died and you are concerned about how they were treated before they died; or

  • Are acting as an advocate for the patient.

If you change your mind after making a complaint: You can change your mind about making a complaint at any time. Please let us know as soon as possible. It would be helpful if you could write or e-mail and tell us, but otherwise a phone call will do.

Mediation (also known as Alternative Dispute Resolution):

  • Mediation means bringing people together to resolve a complaint;

  • An independent mediator will try to help you and us to agree what should happen if we cannot settle the complaint ourselves;

  • Mediation can only be used if we both agree to it.

Information about mediation:

  • The Feedback and Complaints Officer at the practice or at Improvement Scotland can tell you more about mediation services.

If you are not happy with our response to your complaint

You can contact:

Healthcare Improvement Scotland his.ihcregulation@nhs.scot 0131 623 4342

General Dental Services (for complaints about private treatment) Dental Complaints Service 37 Wimpole Street London W1G 8DG https://dcs.gdc-uk.org/ 020 8253 0800

Policy review date September 2024.