Guidance and considerations for dentists with Denplan Care patient complaintsient Complaints
We appreciate that complaints can put you in a difficult situation and leave you feeling embarrassed or ashamed of a perceived reflection of your professional integrity. However, most Dental Practitioners will receive complaints throughout their career.
Why do people complain?
Because they want an apology, explanation or recompense
They want the matter to be rectified
If their expectations have not been managed
If they have not received the service, they expect or are accustomed to
Poor communication
If their concerns have not been properly addressed
To let off steam
To prevent a recurrence of the situation
Complaints Handling
The GDC Standards for the Dental Team (2013) states: You must make sure that there is an effective complaints procedure readily available for patients to use, ensure all team members are familiar with it and follow that procedure at all times. For more details see https://standards.gdc-uk.org/pages/principle5/principle5.aspx
The GDC has published a set of 6 Universal Principles of Good Complaint Handling, as a best practice guide. More information and supporting resources can be found at www.gdc-uk.org/standards-guidance/standards-and-guidance/complaint-handling
Denplan Care Patient Complaints
These are the types of complaints you might experience from a Denplan Care patient:
Perceived value for money: Ensuring patients understand the contract and what it is they are paying for.
Treatment outside of the contract: Highlighting what a patient can and cannot expect from their contract, often negates some complaints.
Large, unexpected treatment cost when trying to join new practice: where a patient has perceived ‘missed’ or outstanding treatment.
Prevention/Standard of care: Ensure patients are receiving the preventative advice/care they require, and a standard of care private patients should expect.
Difference in clinical opinion: This often occurs when a patient has been a long-standing patient for one dentist who knows the history of the teeth but moves to a new dentist who is seeing their mouth for the first time. A detailed leaving form or a phone call between the two dentists can be found to resolve this.
Lack of understanding the Denplan Care Contract: Assist patients in education around their own responsibilities for their dental care, drawing on relevant sections of contract.
Responding to Complaints
The GDC state within Standard 5 that you should have a clear and effective complaints procedure. You might want to consider the below when dealing with a complaint:
Communicate: Acknowledge the complaint and provide the patient with a copy of your complaints handling policy
Meet expectations: – If you’ve stated in your complaints handling procedure patients will be contacted/responded to within 5 working days, you must ensure this timescale is met.
Keep the patient updated regularly: - Even if you are only informing the patient of a delay, this will ensure the patient knows they are not being ignored which can easily lead to complaints escalating.
Research the complaint accurately and promptly
Establish what the complaint is and how the patient would like it resolved
Solution: Deal with each point raised within the complaint separately and offer a solution where possible
Apologise: An apology is not an admission of liability
Reaching a resolution
A complaint might not be resolved straight away. Understand that there may need to be compromise, from both yourself, and the patient to reach a resolution.
If the complaint is justified, then a fair solution should be offered.
In rare instances where the patient is still not satisfied, then you should outline any alternative avenues available for the patient, for example The Dental Complaints Service for private patients.
When you first receive a complaint, it is good practice to inform your indemnifier who can assist you in drafting a response.
Clinical Complaints Support Service
Our professional and impartial support can assist in the mutually agreeable resolution of clinical disputes that may occur between you and your Denplan Care patients, where in house complaints has been exhausted.
We can offer support to dentists where they feel there has been an unfortunate breakdown in the essential dentist-patient relationship either before, or as a result of, a clinical complaint. This includes helping to understanding and apply the Denplan Care contract.
Where a patient wishes to utilise our service, we will firstly request that they have discussed their concerns with their contracted dentist in order for you to be afforded the opportunity to respond. If a patient remains dissatisfied, then this is a good opportunity to suggest the Clinical Complaints Support Service.
Once we have received notification of the complaint, we request that the patient contacts us to discuss, we will request their consent and will liaise with all parties accordingly. If necessary, we may request clinical records from the dental care providers involved, so we can gain a better understanding of the complaint.
This is an informal service and although our first point of contact is usually with the patient, please be reassured that we are not here to judge the treatment or course of action offered. Our requests for information are so that we can offer as much support as possible and facilitate any exchange of information. We encourage continued open communication between a patient and their current or past dental practice(s) as the best way to seek answers to clinical concerns.
If we are unable to assist with the complaint or come to an impasse where a resolution has not been found, we will provide the patient with details of other complaint channels open to them. This may include the Dental Complaints Service or a more formal legal route.
Please contact [email protected] to speak to one of our team members for any support you may require. Or you can provide the contact details to Denplan patients in instances where you feel the service might be of benefit to both parties.
Please N.B this service is not available to practices owned by corporate bodies, however we can refer patients to the Dental Complaints Service if required.
This guidance has been produced solely and exclusively for use by member dentists offering Denplan payment plans and their authorised practice staff who are permitted to access as needed and for use with their Denplan patient contracts only. This information is provided by Denplan Limited as a guide only, Denplan Limited imposes no requirement on member dentists to use them and they are not intended to be a substitute for independent professional advice. To the full extent permitted by law, Denplan Limited will not be liable for any loss or damage (including without limitation, direct and indirect losses, loss of business, profit or consequential loss) resulting from your access and use of or inability to use this information, nor to any third party in respect of this webpage.
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