Complaints Policy

At West House Dental Practice, we are committed to providing a high standard of care and service.

If you are unhappy with any aspect of your experience, please let us know so we can put things right. We take all concerns and complaints seriously and will always aim to handle your complaint fairly, confidentially and with respect.

Raising a concern or complaint will not affect your ongoing care or treatment with us.

How to Raise a Concern or Complaint

You can share your concern or make a complaint in a way that suits you:

In person or by telephone: 01773 822126
In writing: West House Dental Practice, 27 Chapel Street, Belper, Derbyshire, DE56 1AR
By email: info@westhousedentalpractice.co.uk

The person responsible for managing complaints is the Practice Manager, Helen Graham.

If your concern relates to the Practice Manager or Registered Manager, you can speak to any member of our team. They will make sure your concern is passed to the appropriate person. Alternative arrangements are in place to ensure your complaint is handled fairly.

If you prefer, someone else can raise a complaint on your behalf, such as a family member or representative.

What Happens Next?

We aim to acknowledge your complaint as soon as possible, and no later than 3 working days after we receive it.

At this stage, we will offer to discuss your complaint with you. This gives you the opportunity to understand:

How your complaint will be handled
The investigation period
When you can expect a response

You may choose whether to have this discussion or decline it.

Early Resolution

Where possible, we aim to resolve concerns quickly.

Investigation

If your concern is more complex or cannot be resolved straight away, we will carry out a full investigation.

We will:

Look into your concerns fairly and carefully
Keep you updated on progress, usually every 10 days
Explain what we have looked at
Share what we found
Confirm any action we have taken or will take

Our Response

After investigating your complaint, we will write to you with our response.

We aim to respond as soon as possible, and no later than 6 months, unless we have agreed a different timeframe with you. If there are any delays, we will let you know and explain why.

Time Limits for Making a Complaint

It is usually helpful to raise your complaint:

Within 12 months of the event, or
Within 12 months of becoming aware of the issue

If you contact us after this time, we will still consider your complaint. However, we may not be able to resolve it if it cannot be investigated fairly and effectively because of the time that has passed.