Vivid Smiles Dental Centre
COMPLAINTS HANDLING POLICY
Feedback
A patient’s evaluation of the care received at our practice is an extremely important form of feedback that provides valuable information about the services we provide. We encourage patients to provide both positive and negative feedback.
All staff will be provided with training and support that will assist them to identify, report and appropriately respond to complaints and other negative feedback. At Vivid Smiles Dental Centre we classify negative feedback into three ways:
1. Enquiries: low level matters where an explanation or clarification of circumstances satisfies or resolves the patient’s concerns. No further risk or future action against the dental practitioner or practice is indicated
2. Notification: a complication or incident that has not caused the patient to make any complaint or claim, but has the potential to become a complaint or claim in the future. The dental practitioner involved will consult their professional association in these matters for guidance on handling the incident and whether notification to the professional indemnity insurer is required. The dental practitioner’s management of such complications or incident will be compatible with the practice’s open disclosure process.
3. Complaint or Claim: matters in which a patient, or person on behalf of the patient, has made a verbal or written complaint to the practitioner or to a statutory or legal body, regarding some element of treatment that has been provided by the dental practitioner to the patient. The dental practitioner involved will consult their professional association and their professional indemnity insurer prior to responding to the matter.