Feedback, Concerns, Comments and Complaints Policy Information for Patients

At Dentistry@Jordanhill we aim 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 anonymous, will be taken seriously, and our procedures are in line with the NHS Scotland Complaints Procedure.

Responsibilities

The practice Feedback and Complaints Officer is [Paula Grant, Practice manager, 0141 334 2550 Email: info@dentistryatjordanhill.co.uk]. She is responsible for managing and handling 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 do 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.
• Telling the Patient Advice and Support Service (see under Contacts);
• Giving feedback online (www.dentistryatjordanhill.co.uk)
• Contacting the local NHS Board (see under Contacts).

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

Complaints about NHS treatment

You can make a complaint about:

• NHS care or treatment you have had or are having at the practice.
• Our services or facilities.
• A member of staff.
• How services in the local area are organised if this has affected your care or treatment.

It is not possible to list everything you can complain about. If you want to complain about something not listed above, we encourage you.

You cannot use this complaints procedure:

• If you have commenced legal proceedings about the issue you want to complain about.
• NB: We will always offer to resolve your complaint through this complaints procedure before legal action commences.
• To request a second opinion in respect of care or treatment
  For a previously concluded complaint or a request to reconsider a complaint where we have already given our final decision.
  A complaint that is being or has been investigated by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO)

It is not possible to list everything you cannot complain about. If other procedures can help you resolve your concerns, we will give you information and advice to help you.

Time limits:

Normally, you must make your complaint within six months of:

• the event you want to complain about; or
• finding out that you have a reason to complain, but no longer than 12 months after the event.

How to make a complaint:

• You can complain in person, by phone, online or in writing. Please note that if you fax or 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 Paula Grant, our Feedback and Complaints Officer.
• If you don’t want to complain to anyone in practice, you can contact the Patient Advice and Support Service or the Greater Glasgow and Clyde Feedback and Complaints Team (see under Contacts).

When making your complaint, please give the following:

• Your full name and address*
• The full name, address and date of birth of the patient if you complain 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 NHS 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 that this may make it more difficult to investigate it.
• 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 complaint-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 to ask for an investigation (without going through Stage 1).

Stage 1: Early Stage

• 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, an explanation if something has gone wrong, and immediate action to resolve the problem.
• We will inform you of this complaints policy and where you can turn 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 respond within 5 working days using your preferred method of communication.
• In exceptional circumstances, an additional 5 working days may be needed to respond to your complaint. Still, we will keep you informed of this and 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 unhappy 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 a detailed investigation; or
• you are not satisfied with our Stage 1 Early resolution response to your complaint: or
• You ask for an immediate investigation.
• 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 cannot keep to this timescale, we will let you know and tell you why, and agree to 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 staff member if there is anything in the letter you do not understand.
    • Include information about the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman in case you are unhappy with our response or the way we have handled your complaint and want to take things further.

  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. 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.

  Complaints about private treatment

  We follow the same complaints procedure for complaints about private treatment. However, if you require help to make your complaint, or if you are not satisfied with our response to your complaint, the Dental Complaints Service (a department of the General Dental Council) offers a complaints resolution service for private dental patients and dentists (see Contacts).

  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.

  Help with your complaint.

  Patient Advice and Support Service

  If you would like to speak to someone for independent advice about your rights and responsibilities when using NHS services, including help to make a complaint, please contact your local Patient Advice and Support Service which is available through your local Citizens Advice Scotland bureau (CAS). To find your local CAS office, go to www.cas.org.uk/bureaux and enter your postcode.

  Advocacy

  If you want someone to help you express your views, you can ask for an advocate. An advocate is independent of the NHS and can help make sure your views are heard and get access to the information you need to make your own decisions. The Feedback and Complaints Officer at the practice or the Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board can tell you more about advocacy services available.

  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 on 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 Greater Glasgow and Clyde can tell you more about mediation services.

  If you are not happy with our response to your complaint

  If you are still not happy with our response, or if you are not happy with the way we are dealing with your complaint, e.g. if you think we are taking too long, you can ask the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) to consider your complaint further.

  The SPSO is the final stage for complaints about public services in Scotland. This includes complaints about the NHS in Scotland. If you remain dissatisfied with an NHS Board or service provider (e.g. a dental practice) after its complaints process has concluded, you can ask the SPSO to look at your complaint.

  The SPSO cannot normally look at:

  • A complaint that has not completed our complaints procedure, so please make sure it has done so before contacting SPSO;
  • Complaints about events that happened or that you became aware of more than a year ago;
  • Matters that have been or are being considered in court.

   

  Contacts

  General Dental Services (for complaints about private treatment)

  Dental Complaints ServiceStephenson House
  2 Cherry Orchard Road
  Croydon,
  CRO 6BA
  Tel: 08456 120 540 at local rate (Mon-Fri, 9.00am – 5.00pm)

  mailto:info@dentalcomplaints.org.uk

  www.dentalcomplaints.org.uk

  NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Feedback and Complaints Team:

  Email: GCHSCPComplaints@ggc.scot.nhs.uk

  Write to:
  Business Administration Manager
  Family Health Service Complaints
  Glasgow City HSCP Headquarters
  Commonwealth House
  32 Albion Street
  Glasgow
  G1 1LH
  Call: 0141 287 0130

  NHS Inform

  Helpline 0800 22 44 88 (text phone 18001 0800 22 44 88);
  www.nhsinform.co.uk; t
  the Looking Local iPhone app; NHSScotland’s Digital TV Service (Sky and Virgin Media).

  Patient Advice and Support Service

  www.patientadvicescotland.org.uk

  This service is available through your local Citizens Advice Scotland Bureau (CAS). You will be able to find out where your local CAS office is on the website by entering your postcode.

  Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO)
  4 Melville Street
  Edinburgh
  EH3 7NS
  Tel: 0800 377 7330

  Freepost SPSO (you don’t need a stamp)

  Online contact: www.spso.org.uk/contact-us

  Website: www.spso.org.uk

  Mobile site: http://m.spso.org.uk