27 Sep 2006 - "DCS at Dental Showcase"

DENTAL COMPLAINTS SERVICE TO UNVEIL RECORD ON RESOLVING COMPLAINTS

The new Dental Complaints Service, which helps to resolve complaints about private dental care, is to unveil its record so far on resolving complaints at the Dental Showcase, it was announced today (27 September 2006).

Figures on the number of complaints closed, how many were resolved successfully, and how many were successfully referred back to a dental practice’s own complaints procedures will be released on the first day of the event, which is to be held at London’s ExCeL Exhibition Centre from 5-7 October. The Service launched on May 24.

Officers from the Service will be on hand at Stand H10 throughout the three-day event to explain how the new service works and answer questions from dental professionals.

Derek Prentice, who chairs the Service’s Advisory Board, said:

“We’re delighted with the success of the Dental Complaints Service so far. The Dental Showcase is a good opportunity to unveil what that means in practice. We’re particularly proud of the speed with which complaints are being resolved.

“The Dental Showcase is an opportunity for dental professionals to meet the Dental Complaints Service’s staff to get first hand accounts of how it works.”

The Dental Complaints Service receives complaints about private dental care that dental professionals haven’t been able to resolve. NHS dental patients have their own process.
Resolving complaints may involve recommending an apology, a refund of fees and/or a financial contribution by a dental practice towards remedial treatment. The Service was set up and is funded by, but is independent of, the General Dental Council.

To contact the Dental Complaints Service, call 08456 120 540 (local rate), visit www.dentalcomplaints.org.uk, or email info@dentalcomplaints.org.uk.

Ends

Media contact ONLY: Mike Hutchinson (mike.hutchinson@dentalcomplaints.org.uk) on 020 7624 6257 or 07760 155 216.

Note to editors: The Dental Complaints Service is funded by the General Dental Council (the regulator for the dental profession in the UK) to help resolve complaints by patients about private dental care as fairly, efficiently, transparently and quickly as possible. NHS patients are covered by a different scheme.

For further information about the London Dental Showcase visit www.dentalshowcase.com