Effective in-house systems can nip complaints in the bud

In a YouGov survey, conducted on behalf of Dental Protection, 65 per cent of the public said they are not aware that dentists are required to provide a formal process for managing complaints from their patients. 16 per cent of the public surveyed also said they would consider complaining to the GDC about the treatment they received.

Dental Protection said it recognised that some dentists may be reluctant to display their complaints procedure, for fear of encouraging a complaint, but stressed that timely and effective management of a complaint within the practice can often nip complaints in the bud, and avoid them becoming more serious.

Raj Rattan, dental director at Dental Protection, said, “There is often a very small window of opportunity to nip complaints in the bud and dealing with them promptly, within the practice is often the most effective way of doing this. Dentists have an obligation to provide a formal written process for resolving complaints, so every team member knows what to do, and they should ensure patients are also aware of the process.