Our promise to you
When receiving our services you are entitled to expect:
- A high quality of care and treatment that is easily accessible and given wherever possible
- Dignity and respect at all times and to be treated as an individual
- Staff to address you in the manner of your choice
- Privacy and confidentiality
- Respect for your religion and culture
- Whenever possible you and your relatives or carers, if you wish, to be involved in making choices about your care
- Clear explanations about your care and treatment, giving you the chance to ask questions
- All complaints are treated in the strictest confidence and will be kept separate from patients clinical record.
We try our best to provide the best standard of care, at all times, for our patients, families and carers. We recognise, however, that sometimes you may not be satisfied with the service you or your family has received, and you may feel that you need to make a complaint.
All complaints are taken seriously. We use the information from our investigation of complaints to improve the standard of care we provide.
Making a complaint
If you would like to discuss your complaint in person, whether it relates to any of the services we provide or the individuals providing them, please ask to speak to Rebecca Sheppard, Practice Manager who will be happy to advise you how to proceed and will aim to solve the problem straight away.
However, if you prefer, you can write a letter and send to:
Rebecca Sheppard
White Horse Dental Practice
White Horse Health Centre
Mane Way
Westbury
BA13 3FQ
Tel: 01373 859136
Investigating your complaint
When a complaint is received from a patient, it will be dealt with as quickly and effectively as possible.
We will aim to resolve simple complaints within 48 hours and if the patient is satisfied with the response, no formal written response will be given unless particularly requested.
If your complaint is received in writing, we will acknowledge receipt of this within 3 working days and let you know the likely timescale for completion of any investigations. We will aim to provide you with a full response in writing within 10 working days.
However, some complaints are complex and the investigation may take a little longer than normal. If this happens, we will always let you know the timescale for response and the reasons for the delay.
Sometimes a complaint can highlight ways in which we can improve our service. In such cases, we will tell you of any action we intend to take.
If at any point you feel that a meeting will be helpful to discuss your complaint, you may request this too.
Occasionally, the complaint involves another organisation. In such cases, we will ask for your permission to pass information on as appropriate. We will explain the reasons for the transfer of responsibility, the name of the person and the department/authority to whom it is transferred.