complaints handling Flashcards
complaint
expression of dissatisfaction by a pt or any aspect of the service
pts usually want to know:
what happened
why it happened
what will be done to put it right
whether anyone is to blame and if so what action will be taken
what action will be taken within the practice to ensure that it does not happen again
responsible person
act as complaints manager
ideally practice owner/manager
in practice complaints procedure
appointing someone as main point of contact
acknowledging complaints within a few WDs
investigating
timescales
sending a detailed report signed by the ‘responsible person’ to the complainant’
if the complaint is not resolved to the pts’ satisfaction, an explanation of how to make a formal complaint to ombudsman/DCS
keep records of all complaints, investigations and responses
6 core principles
all of your feedback is important to us
we want to make it easy for you to raise a concern or complain, if you need to
we follow a complaints procedure and keep you informed
we will try to answer all your Qs and any concerns you raise
we want you to have a positive experience of making a complaint
your feedback helps us to improve our service
acknowledgement
written offer pt to discuss within 3 WDs advise pt how it will be dealt with and timescale ask how pt wants to be kept informed
failure to resolve
advise in letter how they can contact ombudsman/DCS
investigation
team members records BDA/defence union meet w pt if needed 10 WDs inform pt of progress
response
meet w pt
can invite relevant team
scribe
if letter send P+C and follow up by telephone to ensure they received it
apology if needed
explanation
measures that will be taken to prevent re-occurrence
any offer of redress should be made on basis of gesture of goodwill and does not imply admission of liability
Consumer Rights Act 2015
dentists can be liable if they don’t exercise reasonable skill and care carrying out tx
tx must comply with description given to pt
pts can challenge any hidden fees and charges
