Stricklandgate Dental Practice – Penrith

At Stricklandgate we take any complaint very seriously and we try to ensure that all patients are pleased with their experience of our service. If a patient complains, we deal with it courteously and promptly in order that the matter is resolved as quickly as possible. The procedure is based on these objectives.

Our aim is to react to a complaint in the way we would expect a complaint of ours to be handled. We endeavour to respond to a patients’ concerns in a caring and sensitive way and strive to implement improvements in our service, as a result of a complaint.

The person responsible for dealing with any complaint about the service we provide is either your individual Dental Practitioner or our Practice Manager.

Should a complaint be received at the reception desk or on the telephone, we will listen sensitively and offer to refer the patient to the Practice Manager immediately. If they are unavailable, then we will indicate to the patient when contact can be made and the arrangements for this response. The member of staff will take brief details of the complaint. If we cannot arrange a response within a reasonable period or if a patient does not wish to wait to discuss the matter, arrangements will be made for someone else to deal with it normally one of the Principals or a senior member of the staff.

A written complaint will be dealt with by the person to whom it is addressed.

Should a complaint be regarding clinical care or associated charges, it will normally be referred to the Dentist, unless the patient does not wish this to happen.

We will acknowledge a patient’s complaint in writing and enclose a copy of this code of practice. This will normally be upon receipt of a letter or within two working days. We will seek to investigate any complaint within ten working days of a complaint being received and to give an explanation of the circumstances which led to the complaint. We are happy to meet in person, however if the patient does not wish to meet us, then we will attempt to talk to him or her on the telephone. If we are unable to investigate a complaint within ten working days we will notify the patient, giving reasons for the delay and a likely period within which an investigation will be completed.

We will confirm our findings and the decision regarding a complaint in writing to the patient immediately after completing our investigation. Proper and comprehensive records are kept of any complaint received.

If a patient is not satisfied with the result of our procedure then a complaint may be made to: