Complaints Procedure

The Lifesmiles DentalCode of Practice for patients who wish to raise concerns

In Lifesmiles Dental we place great emphasis on meeting and whenever possible, exceeding our patients’ expectations. We try to ensure that all patients are pleased with their experience of our service and we take any concerns a patient may have very seriously.

If you have a concern regarding any aspect of your care, please let us know. We will do all that we can to resolve your concern to your satisfaction promptly and professionally.

Our aim is to respond to your concerns in a caring and sensitive way.

The person responsible for dealing with any concerns about the service we provide in this practice is The Practice Manager.

If you raise an issue you are concerned or unhappy about on the telephone or at the reception desk, after listening to a description of the problem the person with whom you raise your concern will try to resolve the issue to your satisfaction immediately.

If the person with whom you raise your concern is unable to resolve the issue for any reason, we will contact The Practice Manager immediately. Should The Practice Manager be unavailable at the time, we will advise you when they will be available, and arrangements will be made for you to meet or speak with her.

If for any reason The Practice Manager is going to be unable to meet you or speak with you at a time that is convenient to you, we will arrange for Dr Robert Rutland to take responsibility for dealing with your concern or complaint.

The team member with whom you first raised your concern will take brief details from you and pass these to The Practice Manager that they can familiarise themselves with your concern prior to meeting you or speaking with you.

If you choose to write to us to express your concern rather than raising it verbally, your letter or email will be passed on to the relevant person immediately.

We will acknowledge any concerns you raise in writing within three days and we will also include a copy of this Code of Practice with our response. We will investigate your concern and report back within ten working days of it being received. If we are unable to complete our investigations within ten working days for any reason, we will notify you, giving reasons for the delay and the likely period within which the investigation will be completed.

We will confirm the outcome of the investigation and any decisions made in writing.

We will keep proper and comprehensive records of any concerns or complaints received.

We will do all we can to resolve your issue, concern or complaint to your satisfaction. If, for any reason, you are not satisfied with the outcome or the procedure, we will advise you of other avenues open to you for raising concerns. These are:

The Dental Complaints Service for complaints about private treatment.
Address: Address: 37 Wimpole Street, London W1G 8DQ
Phone: 0208 253 0800
Email: info@dentalcomplaints.org.uk

The General Dental Council (GDC) (the clinicians’ professional regulator].
Address: 37 Wimpole Street, London, W1M 8DQ
Phone: 0207 167 6000
Email: standards@gdc-uk.org 

The Care Quality Commission (the regulator for all of health and social care)
Address:Citygate, Gallowgate, Newcastle upon Tyne NE14PA
Phone: 03000 616161
Email: enquires@cqc.org.uk