Patient Support

Complaint Procedure

Ocean Orthodontic Clinic Patient complaints and feedback process

Complaints Procedure

How We Handle Complaints

Ocean Orthodontic Clinic aim to deal with all complaints promptly, courteously and efficiently and preferably on-the-spot.

If you are not happy with your treatment journey, or you were expecting better service, you may have grounds to make a complaint.

What is a complaint, and where to start?

There are three broad types of complaint you can make:

1. Complaint about quality of the practice, procedure or service

This covers all aspects which are related to the practice in general, such as the safety, pricing, chairs, the waiting time at reception, the cleanliness, ventilation, toilets, accessibility, instruments, noise and the general environment.

If you feel that your experience could have been compromised by the quality of the practice, procedure or service, you can put this in writing to me, as the complaint officer, highlighting the factors that brought you to make a complaint. An appointment can be arranged for you to visit the practice and discuss all aspects of your complaint with the complaint officer.

2. Complaint about a staff member behaviour

This includes complaints about a dentist, nurse, therapist, receptionist, manager or clinical coordinator.

This covers all aspects that are related to a particular staff member. If you feel that the staff member was, for example, not cooperative enough, not courteous enough, not attending enough or acting in a way that you find unprofessional, you can put this in writing to me or arrange an appointment to visit me in the practice.

I will then write down your complaint and share this with you to see if it captures all aspects of your complaint, highlighting the factors that brought you to make a complaint about this particular person.

3. Quality of treatment

This covers all aspects of your dental treatment and your treatment experience with the dentist.

If for any reason you believe, for example, that you have been inadequately informed, misinformed, your treatment was incomplete, you received improper treatment, or the treatment caused complications that you were not expecting or were not warned about, then you can put this in writing to me, or arrange an appointment to visit me in the practice.

I will then write down your complaint and share this with you to see if it captures all aspects of your complaint, highlighting your issue or issues of concern.

Who can make a complaint?

A patient.
A patient’s parents, who may have noticed that their child patient has grounds for complaint as described above.
A family member of a patient, who may have noticed that their relative patient has grounds for complaint as described above.
A member of the public, who may have noticed that a patient has grounds for complaint as described above.
A staff member, who may have noticed that a patient has grounds for complaint as described above.
A person acting on behalf of a person falling within the above, for example a solicitor or parent of a child.

Please note, if another person is representing the patient, for example a solicitor, an elected representative, community group or another organisation, this is absolutely fine. However, this will not deny the patient their right to make a complaint themselves.

Please note, clear authorisation for a representing person, group or organisation to act on behalf of the patient must be given by the patient. We will not respond to a representative unless such authorisation is in place. However, we may contact the patient, if possible, to verify this with them in both cases.

Organisations that can represent the patient

Such organisations include:

Citizens Advice Scotland: www.cas.org.uk
Scottish Refugee Council: www.scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk

How to complain

To make a complaint, contact the practice directly either by telephone or email.

Telephone: 0131 202 4343
Email: reception@oceanorthodonticclinic.co.uk

Such matters will be handled by the practice manager, Shaymaa Bolbol.

Organisations that the patient can complain to outside the practice

If the patient has any concern that their complaint will not be handled, is not being handled properly, or simply wants to complain elsewhere, they can complain to the following regulatory bodies: