Online patient reviews

The DDU surveyed 90 members and found that:

Of those surveyed, the DDU discovered that a customer service issue (54.5 per cent) was the main allegation raised in the negative review. This was followed by competence or conduct issues (13.6 per cent) and a failure to treat patients (9.1 per cent).

Also, the DDU found that members were more likely to seek advice from colleagues (42.1 per cent of all respondents) then their defence organisation (15.8 per cent of all respondents).

Leo Briggs, deputy head of the DDU, commented, “At the DDU, one of our core services is to provide expert dento-legal advice to our members, who can call us any time they find themselves facing a difficult situation, such as when a patient has posted a negative review. Calling our advice line is free, treated in the strictest of confidence and does not affect future subscriptions.

“We speak to tens of thousands of members every year so we can often pre-empt the kinds of problems that can cause members worry. Consequently, we encourage them to call for advice and support as early as possible.”