Orangefield Dental Care  

Feedback, Concerns, Comments and Complaints Policy 

Information for Patients

At Orangefield Dental Care 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 Complaints Procedure.  

Responsibilities 

The practice Feedback and Complaints Officer is Julie Currie (Practice Manager)  Julie.currie2@nhs.scot (01475) 722341. She is 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 
• Giving feedback online www.orangefielddentalcare.co.uk (contact us) 

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 to do so. 

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 have a complaint reconsidered  where we have already given our final decision. 
• A complaint that is being or has been investigated by the Scottish Public Services  Ompbudsman (SPSO) 

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

Time limits: 

Normally, you must make your complaint within 6 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  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 Julie Currie our Feedback and Complaints Officer. 
• If you don’t want to complain to anyone in the practice, you can contact the Patient  Advice and Support Service or the (see under Contacts). 

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 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 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  clearly 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 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 working 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.  

• 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 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 member of staff 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 you 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, 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. 

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      please see below:-  

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. 

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. 

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 Service 
Stephenson House 
2 Cherry Orchard Road 
Croydon 
CRO 6BA 

Tel.: 08456 120 540 at local rate (Mon-Fri, 9.00am – 5.00pm) 

info@dentalcomplaints.org.uk 

www.dentalcomplaints.org.uk 

NHS Inform  

Helpline 0800 22 44 88 (textphone 18001 0800 22 44 88); www.nhsinform.co.uk; 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) 

SPSO 
Bridgeside House 
99 McDonald House 
Edinburgh 
EH47 4NS

Telephone- 0800 377 7330 

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

Website: www.spso.org.uk 

Mobile site: http://m.spso.org.uk 

Policy & procedures last updated: 19.2.25

Date of next review:      19.2.26

Name and/or designation:       John Odeny (Practice Owner)