(or equivalent health service) procedure.
5.1.5 You should make sure that your complaints procedure:
is displayed where patients can see it – patients should not have to ask for a copy;
is clearly written in plain language and is available in other formats if needed;
is easy for patients to understand and follow;
provides information on other independent organisations that patients can contact to raise concerns;
allows you to deal with complaints promptly and efficiently;
allows you to investigate complaints in a full and fair way;
explains the possible outcomes;
allows information that can be used to improve services to pass back to your practice management or equivalent; and
respects patients' confidentiality.
5.1.6 Complaints can be an opportunity to improve your service. You should analyse any complaints that you receive to help you improve the service you offer, and share lessons learnt from complaints with all team members.
5.1.7 You should keep a written record of all complaints together with your responses. This record should be separate from your patient records so that patients are not discouraged from making a complaint.
You should use your record of complaints to monitor your performance in handling complaints and identify any areas that need to be improved.
Standard 5.2 Respect a patient’s right to complain.
5.2.1 You should not react defensively to complaints. You should listen carefully to patients who complain and involve them fully in the complaints process. You should find out what outcome patients want from their complaint.
Standard 5.3 Give patients who complain a prompt and constructive response.
5.3.1 You should give the patient a copy of the complaints procedure when you acknowledge their complaint so that they understand the stages involved and the timescales.
5.3.2 You should deal with complaints in a calm and constructive way and in line with the complaints procedure.
5.3.3 You should aim to resolve complaints as efficiently, effectively, and politely as possible.
5.3.4 You must respond to complaints within the time limits set out in your complaints procedure.
5.3.5 If you need more time to investigate a complaint, you should tell the patient when you will respond.
5.3.6 If there are exceptional circumstances which mean that the complaint cannot be resolved within the usual timescale, you should give the patient regular updates (at least every 10 days) on progress.
5.3.7 You should try to deal with all the points raised in the complaint and, where possible, offer a solution for each one.
5.3.8 You should offer an apology and a practical solution where appropriate.
5.3.9 If a complaint is justified, you should offer a fair solution. This may include offering to put things right at your own expense if you have made a mistake.
5.3.10 You should respond to the patient in writing, setting out your findings and any practical solutions you are prepared to offer. Make sure that the letter is clear, deals with the patient's concerns, and is easy for them to understand.
5.3.11 If the patient is not satisfied despite your best efforts to resolve their complaint, you should tell them about other avenues that are open to them, such as the relevant Ombudsman for health service complaints or the Dental Complaints Service for complaints about private dental treatment.
Principle 6 – Work with Colleagues in a Way that Is in the Patient's Best Interest
Patient expectation:
To be fully informed of the different roles of the dental professionals involved in their care.
That members of the dental team will work effectively together.
Standard 6.1 Work effectively with your colleagues and contribute to good teamwork.
6.1.1 You should ensure that any team you are involved in works together to provide appropriate dental care for your patients.
6.1.2 You must treat colleagues fairly and with respect, in all situations and all forms of interaction and communication. You must not bully, harass, or unfairly discriminate against them.
6.1.3 You must treat colleagues fairly in all financial transactions.
6.1.4 You must value and respect the contribution of all team members.
6.1.5 You must ensure that patients are fully informed of the names and roles of the dental professionals involved in their care.
6.1.6 As a registered dental professional, you could be held responsible for the actions of any member of your team who does not have to register with the GDC (for example, receptionists, practice managers, or laboratory assistants). You should ensure that they are appropriately trained and competent.
Standard 6.2 Be appropriately supported when treating patients.
6.2.1 You must not provide treatment if you feel that the circumstances make it unsafe for patients.
6.2.2 You should work with another appropriately trained member of the dental team at all times when treating patients in a dental setting. The only circumstances in which this does not apply are when:
treating patients in an out of hours emergency;
providing treatment as part of a public health programme; or
there are exceptional circumstances.
‘Exceptional circumstances’ are unavoidable circumstances which are not routine and could not have been foreseen. Absences due to leave or training are not exceptional circumstances.
6.2.3 If there are exceptional circumstances which mean you cannot work with an appropriately trained member of the dental team when treating a patient in a dental setting, you must assess the possible risk to the patient of continuing treatment.
6.2.4 If you are providing treatment in a hospital setting, you should be supported by a GDC registrant or a registrant of another healthcare regulator.
6.2.5 If you are providing treatment in a care or domiciliary setting, you should be supported by a GDC registrant or an appropriately trained care professional.
6.2.6 Medical emergencies can happen at any time. You must make sure that there is at least one other person available within the working environment to deal with medical emergencies when you are treating patients. In exceptional circumstances the second person could be a receptionist or a person accompanying the patient.
Standard 6.3 Delegate and refer appropriately and effectively.
6.3.1 You can delegate the responsibility for a task but not the accountability. This means that, although you can ask someone to carry out a task for you, you could still be held accountable if something goes wrong. You should only delegate or refer to another member of the team if you are confident that they have been trained and are both competent and indemnified to do what you are asking.
6.3.2 If you delegate a task to another member of the team who does not feel that they are trained or competent to carry it out, you must not take advantage of your position by pressuring them into accepting the task.
6.3.3 You should refer patients on if the treatment required is outside your scope of practice or