27 Dec 2006 - "1000th complaint"

DENTAL COMPLAINTS SERVICE LOGS 1,000TH COMPLAINT

The new Dental Complaints Service, which helps resolve complaints about private dental care, has logged its 1,000th complaint, it was announced today (for immediate release: Wednesday, 27 December).

The Service, which launched on May 24, received over 3,500 calls on its 08456 120540 complaints hotline in the first six months, and has helped to resolve 949 complaints so far.

When someone calls with a complaint, the Dental Complaints Service initially refers him or her back to their practice’s own complaints procedure, if they have not been through it already, to give the dental practice concerned a chance to resolve the complaint.

In all, 89 per cent of callers with a complaint were referred back to their practice. Of those, more than four-fifths (84 per cent) saw their complaint resolved satisfactorily.

The aim of the Service is to restore the relationship between the patient and dental professional. It allows patients across the UK to complain about any aspect of private dental care, involving any member of the dental team. Resolving complaints may involve recommending that a dental practice apologise, refund fees and/or contribute towards the costs of remedial treatment. NHS patients have their own dedicated scheme.

The final attempt to resolve a complaint is for it to be considered by a panel of trained volunteers, two lay and one professional. Only eight such panels have been held in six months.

“Accepting our 1000th complaint is a significant milestone,” said Hugh Smith, who heads the Dental Complaints Service. “We’re delighted to have helped so many dental patients and dental practices towards successful resolution.”

The policy of the Service is to resolve complaints as fairly, efficiently, transparently and swiftly as possible. Half of calls received have been about NHS dental services, which have been redirected to the appropriate local NHS contact. A fifth of complaints were submitted by or at the suggestion of a dental professional.

Complaints that raise issues about patient safety, and whether a practitioner should be allowed to continue practising, continue to be dealt with by the GDC.

To contact the Dental Complaints Service, call 08456 120540 (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 155216.

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.