Complaints procedure

At Portman Dental Care we pride ourselves on the high quality of care we provide our patients. Our aim is to look after you as we wish to be looked after ourselves.

However, if you have any concerns or comments regarding your dental care, we will address these as a matter of priority.

We welcome all feedback, both positive and negative, regarding all feedback as an opportunity to learn and improve our service in the future. We will not react unnecessarily defensively, and your confidentiality and access to our services will be protected.

How do I complain?

You can make a complaint directly to your dentist or any member of the practice team, either verbally or in writing.

Alternatively, you can contact independent bodies directly to raise your concerns. Contact information for these bodies can be found in our complaints’ leaflets.

How can I raise my concern or feedback?

Verbal and/or in person

A verbal complaint can be made in person or via telephone, the complaint will be immediately logged by the member of the team you talk to, and we will try and resolve your concerns at the time. If appropriate, the Practice Manager will discuss your complaint with you to try and resolve the situation. As all of our dentists operate as independent practitioners, any complaint concerning clinical care will be immediately passed to your treating clinician, who will be available to discuss and resolve your concerns.

Written or Email

You can make a complaint in writing or via email for the attention of the Practice Manager or the dentist, and it will be handled as outlined below.

Complaints leaflets and further information

For a copy of our complaints leaflet which outlines our process and core principles, or for information of how to escalate your complaint should you wish to, please download our complaints leaflet for more information.

 

How will my complaint be handled?

  1. An acknowledgement letter of your complaint will be sent to you within 3 working days. (2 working days if in Northern Ireland)
  2. Your complaint will be passed to our Complaints Coordinator where applicable.
  3. If your complaint is about clinical care, it will be passed to your treating dentist so that they can respond to the complaint and resolve it.
  4. A full response will be provided to you within 20 working days. (10 working days if in Northern Ireland)

If we think there will be a delay in providing a full response, we’ll let you know, and from there we’ll keep you updated every 10 working days of the progress of your complaint until we are able to provide our full response.

What do I do if I’m not satisfied with the complaints process?

If you’re not happy with how your complaint has been handled, then please get in touch with our Complaints team, who can be contacted at [email protected]

Please note that complaints about Dentists will be passed back to them for a secondary review.

Alternatively, you can contact independent bodies directly to raise your concerns. Contact information for these bodies can be found in our complaints’ leaflets.