Complaints Manager: Dr Corinne Clemens
Our complaint procedure is as follows
If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from the dentists or any of the staff working in this practice, please let us know. We operate a practice complaints procedure. Our complaint system adheres to Putting Things Right regulations.
How to Complain
We hope that most problems can be sorted out easily and quickly, at the time they arise and with the person concerned. If your problem cannot be dealt with in this way and you wish to make a complaint, we would like you to let us know as soon as possible – ideally, within a matter of days or at most a few weeks – because this will enable us to establish what happened most easily. If it is not possible to do that, please let us have details of your complaint:
• Within 12 months of the incident that caused the problem; or
• Within 12 months of discovering that you have a problem
Complaints about the treatment you received should be made to the dentist who normally sees you. Alternatively, you may ask for an appointment with Dr Alun Newsome in order to discuss your concerns. He will explain our complaints procedure to you and will ensure that your concerns are dealt with promptly. It will help if you are as clear as possible about your complaint.
What We Shall Do
We shall acknowledge your complaint in writing or e-mail within 2 working days and aim to have responded to your complaint within 30 working days of the date when you raised it with us. We shall then be in a position to give you an explanation or offer a meeting with those involved.
In investigating your complaint, we shall aim to:
• find out what happened and what went wrong
• enable you to discuss the problem with those concerned, if you would like this.
• ensure you receive an apology, where this is appropriate.
• identify what we can do to make sure the problem does not happen again.
If we cannot fully investigate and respond to your complaint within the time limits above, we will keep you fully informed of our progress.
Complaining on Behalf of Someone Else
Please note that we must keep strictly to the rules of medical confidentiality. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we have to know that you have their permission to do so. A note signed by the person concerned will be needed, unless they are incapable of providing this because of physical or mental illness or are a child under 16 years.
Responding to your complaint
After we have considered your complaint and reviewed all the information, we can obtain in connection with it, we will reply fully to you, with details of:
• The nature and substance of your complaint as it was described to us by you
• The investigations we have undertaken to fully consider the matter complained of
• Our conclusions we have reached after a full investigation and the actions we will take, (if it is found that we have been at fault, failed in our duty of care to you or otherwise acted or failed to act in such a way as to give you cause for legitimate dissatisfaction) to ensure that such an act or omission should not occur again in the future.
What to do if you are unhappy with our response
We hope that, if you have a problem, you will make use of our practice complaints procedure. We believe this will provide the best chance of putting right whatever has gone wrong and an opportunity to improve our practice. However, this does not affect your right to refer your complaint to the following organisation if you are dissatisfied with the result of our investigation.
For NHS patients:
Public Service Ombudsman for Wales
1 Ffordd yr Hen Gae
Pencoed
CF35 5LJ
Tel: 0300 790 0203
https://www.ombudsman.wales/contactus/
If you wish further advice you may contact
Hywel Dda Local Health Board
Freepost RTJR-ZKJG-JZTC
Patient Support Services
Hywel Dda University Health Board
Fishguard Road
HAVERFORDWEST
SA61 2PZ
The Community Health Council is available to assist and support you in expressing your complaint and may be found at:
Hywel Dda Community Health Council
Suite 5
1st floor
Ty Myrddin
Old Station Road
Carmarthen
SA31 1BT
Tel: 01267 231384
Email: hyweldda@waleschc.org.uk
If your dental treatment was provided under private arrangements, you can contact:
General Dental Council
37 Wimpole Street
London
W1G 8DQ
Tel: 020 7167 6000
E-mail: Complaints@gdc-uk.org
Dental Complaints Service
37 Wimpole Street
London
W1G 8DQ
Tel: 020 8253 0800
E-mail: info@dentalcomplaints.org.uk
Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW)
Rhydycar Business Park
Merthyr Tydfil
CF48 1UZ
Tel: 0300 0628163
E-mail: hiw@wales.gsi.gov.uk
For those patients registered with this practice with Denplan you can contact Denplan:
Simplyhealth Customer Relations
Hambleden House
Waterloo Court
Andover
Hampshire
SP10 1LQ
Tel: 0800 401402
E-mail: DenplanCustomer.Relations@simplyhealth.co.uk