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Information for patients

At Denmark Hill Smiles our aim is to provide the best possible care and treatment to every patient. We welcome your feedback and comments about our service, and we deal with any concerns or complaints promptly, courteously and fairly.

We treat all feedback as a positive opportunity to look at what we do and to improve the service we offer. Every view is taken seriously, and our procedure follows the NHS complaints regulations.

Feedback, comments and concerns

We want to hear from you about anything that matters to you, including:

  • what you think of the care and treatment you have received;
  • what we do well;
  • any concerns you have, for example about appointment times or the practice facilities;
  • any suggestions that would help us improve;
  • anything you do not understand and would like more information about.

You can tell us by:

  • speaking to a member of our team;
  • completing a patient survey or questionnaire;
  • leaving a note in our suggestion box;
  • writing to or emailing the practice.

We use the information you give us to improve the services we provide.

How to make a complaint

Our Feedback and Complaints Officer is Jigna Joshi, who is responsible for handling complaints about the service we provide. You can contact her by:

  • Email: info@denmarkhillsmiles.co.uk
  • Phone: 020 7274 0861
  • Post: Denmark Hill Smiles, 179 Denmark Hill, Dulwich, London SE5 8DX

If a complaint is about any aspect of clinical care or associated charges, it will normally be referred to the dentist concerned, unless you ask us not to.

If you raise a concern in person or by phone, the team member receiving it will note the details and pass them to Jigna Joshi. If you would prefer to speak to her directly and she is not available at the time, we will arrange a convenient date for you to do so. Any complaint made in writing will be passed to her without delay.

What happens next

We will acknowledge your complaint in writing within 3 working days and enclose a copy of this procedure.

We will then investigate and aim to give you a full explanation within 10 working days of receiving your complaint.

If you would rather not meet in person, we will discuss your complaint with you by phone.

If we cannot complete our investigation within that time, we will let you know why and tell you when we expect to have a full response for you.

We will confirm the outcome of our investigation in writing as soon as it is complete.

We keep a confidential record of every complaint, stored securely and seen only by those who need to be involved in resolving it. Making a complaint will never affect the care you receive from us.

Complaining on behalf of someone else

You can complain for another person if you:

  • have their consent to do so;
  • are the parent, guardian or main carer of a child who is not able to make the complaint themselves;
  • hold a lasting power of attorney or are a court-appointed deputy authorised to act on healthcare matters for someone who cannot make decisions for themselves;
  • are a relative of, or had a close relationship with, a patient who has died and you are concerned about their care; or
  • are acting as the patient’s advocate.

If you change your mind

You can withdraw a complaint at any time. Please let us know as soon as possible — an email or letter is helpful, but a phone call is fine.

Taking your complaint further

We hope to resolve any complaint directly with you, and it is always best to raise an issue with us first. If you would prefer to contact someone outside the practice, or you are not satisfied with our response, the following organisations can help.

NHS treatment

You can complain to the practice (as above) or to the commissioner of our NHS services, NHS South East London Integrated Care Board. You should choose one route, not both.

  • Post: NHS South East London ICB, 160 Tooley Street, London SE1 2TZ
  • Phone (Patient Experience / PALS): 0800 328 9712 or 020 8176 5337
  • Email: contactus@selondonics.nhs.uk

Please mark any complaint “For the attention of the complaints team”.

You normally need to complain within 12 months of the event, or of becoming aware of the issue.

Independent support with an NHS complaint

Free, independent NHS complaints advocacy for Southwark residents is provided by POhWER:

  • Phone: 020 3553 5960
  • Website: www.pohwer.net

Private treatment

We follow the same procedure for complaints about private treatment. If you need help making your complaint, or you are not satisfied with our response, the Dental Complaints Service offers a free, independent resolution service for private dental patients:

  • Post: Dental Complaints Service, 37 Wimpole Street, London W1G 8DQ
  • Phone: 020 8253 0800
  • Website: dcs.gdc-uk.org

The dental regulator

The General Dental Council regulates all dental professionals in the UK:

  • Post: General Dental Council, 37 Wimpole Street, London W1G 8DQ
  • Phone: 020 7167 6000
  • Email: information@gdc-uk.org
  • Website: www.gdc-uk.org

Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

If your complaint relates to NHS care and you remain unhappy after we and the ICB have responded, you can ask the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman to review it. The Ombudsman is independent of the NHS and the government, and will normally expect you to have completed the local complaints process first.

  • Post: The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, Millbank Tower, Millbank, London SW1P 4QP
  • Phone: 0345 015 4033
  • Website: www.ombudsman.org.uk

You will need to contact the Ombudsman within 12 months of receiving our final response.