Patient Safety Flashcards
what do patients seek when they complain
explanations
assurances
apologies
refund of fees
what is a complaint
a complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction by a patient about a dental service or treatment, whether justified or not
what must be proven for a clinical negligence claim to be successful
the defendant owed them a duty of care
there was a breach of duty of care
the breach of duty caused harm
avoidable harm resulted
what is the model for complaints handling
frontline resolution - issues that are straightforward and easily resolved
investigation - issues that have not been resolved at frontline or are serious/ high risk
independent external review - for issues that have not been resolved by the service provider
what are the four aspects to frontline resolution
what is the complaint
what does the complainant want to achieve
can I achieve this or explain why not
if i cannot resolve this, who can help
what is DCS
dental complaint service
what can DCS assist with
explanation or apology
a full or partial refund in fees
remedial treatment
a contribution towards remedial treatment so that the work can be completed by another dental professional
when can DCS not help
the private complaint has been over 12 months
any complaints not raised within 12 months of treatment failing
what is HIS
health improvement scotland
what does HIS do
governs both NHS and private clinics in scotland
how may complaints be received
in writing
by telephone
in person
how long after the cause for complaint can people complain to HIS
6 months
unless the person making the complaint could not reasonably have known of the basis for the complaint
what may a patient complaint relate to
quality of care and treatment experienced by service user
actions a service/ provider took that the service user deemed inadequate
a service/ provider’s failure to take action when necessary
what are the 6 steps of complaint handling procedure
receive and assess the complaint
plan for the investigation
the investigation
decision making and reporting
follow up
appeals and grievances
name three laws associated with patient’s right to complain
GDPR (2018)
Scottish Apology Act (2016)
Montgomery vs NHS Lanarkshire Health Board (2015)
what GDC principle is related to complaining
Principle 5 - have a clear and effective complaints procedure
as a GDP what must we do if we receive a complaint
ensure there is an effective written complaints procedure
follow the complaints procedure
respond to complaints within time limits
provide a constructive response to the complaint
what should be kept with regards to complaint and where should they be kept
written record of all complaints with responses
should be separate from patient records
if there is exceptional circumstances where the complaint cannot be resolved in the usual time schedule, how often should the patient be updated
every 10 days
if the patient is not satisfied despite your best efforts to resolve complaints what should you tell them
the other avenues open to them:
- ombudsman (health service complaints)
- DCS (private dental treatment)
what does early resolution mean
resolving the complaint at the first point of contact with the person making the complaint
when must NHS timeline early resolution be completed
within 5 working days
for the investigation stage of complaints handling, when must complaints be acknowledged and patients get a full response
acknowledged within 3 working days
full response ASAP but at least within 20 working days
what must be included in a written acknowledgement of a complaint
contact details of feedback and complaints officer
details of the advice and support available
information on the role and contact details for SPSO
a statement confirming that the complaint will normally be investigated and results will be sent to complainant within 20 working days
