DDU wants easier route for patient complaints

The Dental Defense Union believes dental practices do not make it easy enough for a patient to lodge a complaint about treatment they have received. Senior dental legal adviser Rupert Hoppenbrouwers has set out some guidelines in the DDU journal as to how dentists should deal with complaints, in light of the 14,000 complaints made about NHS dental treatment in 2017/2018.

Mr Hoppenbrouwers’ advice starts with empathy and an apology if required, followed by a fact based chronology of events, including what happened and why, in layman’s terms, and a resolution. He recommends the complainant be given the opportunity of a face to face meeting, further treatment to resolve the complaint, referral to an alternative dentist within the practice for further treatment to resolve the complaint, and the opportunity to be referred to a third party specialist for a second opinion. A dentist could at their discretion consider this treatment to be free to the patient as a goodwill gesture. Mr Hoppenbrouwers is keen to impress that lessons should be learned from the experience and preventative measures put in place for the future. Part or whole refunds of fees should also be considered on a case by case basis.

DDU head, John Makin, said: “Complaints are common and it’s vital to know how to respond to them professionally and appropriately. Our data indicates that around 90% of complaints are resolved at practice level with our help. It cannot be over emphasised that it is hugely important no obstacles are in the path of a patient wishing to complain. Practice websites should include full details of the practice complaints procedure as well as in the practice information leaflet. Display a notice prominently at the practice reception and/or in the waiting area. If patients who wish to complain do not know about the practice procedure or think complaints aren’t taken seriously, there is a high risk they will complain elsewhere. Once a complaint involves an outside body, dental professionals no longer have any control over how it’s managed. While dealing with a complaint may be somewhat stressful and time consuming, it is time and effort well spent to try to resolve concerns as quickly as possible to the satisfaction of all concerned.”