What remedies can we offer?

What remedies can we offer?

We will always encourage a patient to approach their dental professonal directly to try to resolve their complaints at local level. If a complaint cannot be resolved in this way some complainants will be directed to the NHS, the courts, or the General Dental Council's Fitness to Practice procedures, depending on which is appropriate.

If none of these avenues are appropriate our staff will try to resolve the complaint, liaising with all parties concerned. If this fails, a panel will be convened, and will be able to make the following recommendations:

(a) the complaint be closed with no further action; or 
(b) no further action should be taken in relation to this specific complaint, but make recommendations as to future practice; or
(d) the dental professional should offer an apology to the patient; and/or
(e) make recommendations as to future practice and / or
(f) a full or partial refund of fees; and/or
(g) the dental professional shall make a contribution towards the remedial treatment of up to the cost of the original treatment. The panel must be reasonably satisfied that the sum of money involved is appropriate for the remedial treatment and that the remedial treatment proposed is reasonable; or
(h) endorse an agreement reached between the patient and the dental professional; or
(g) in exceptional circumstances, the panel may not be able to decide the outcome of a complaint. In these circumstances it may either record that a decision cannot be reached and/or ask for further information. If the latter, it will then consider this information in written form and if necessary meet to agree a decision, where possible this meeting will be undertaken as a teleconference.