Practice Policies (NHS)

Appointments at our Practice are in high demand.  Missed appointments usually result in us being unable to see another patient who may be waiting for an urgent appointment. This results in longer waiting times, puts a strain on our resources and prevents us from scheduling another patient that could benefit from our services.

The purpose of the cancellation policy is to ensure that we are able to provide quality dental care to our patients without any delays by using our clinical time effectively.

Cancellation Notice

We understand that there may be a genuine reason as to why you may be unable to attend your scheduled appointment. If you are unable to attend, we ask that you give us at least 24-hour notice to cancel your appointment.

You can notify us of your cancellation as follows:

• You can call us on 02079244224. Select option 1 to leave appointment cancellation message.

• You can respond CANCEL to an appointment reminder that you have received by text message and/or email

What if I cannot give 24-hour notice?

If you fail to attend your appointment or cancel with short notice (less than 24 hours) on more than one occasion in any 12-month period, the Practice will be entitled to terminate your NHS funded service in which case, you may then need to pay again for a new course of treatment. Please bear in mind that if your treatment with us is cancelled for your failure to attend and/or failure to cancel your appointment with required notice, this may affect your ability to seek an Orthodontic NHS care at another NHS practice.

If you are unable to give us 24 hour notice, we still ask that you cancel your appointment with the Practice as soon as you become aware that you will be unable to attend as this will allow us to allocate your time to another patient.

Will I be charged for the missed appointment?

If you miss your appointment and/or fail to cancel it with the requisite 24-hour cancellation notice, you will not be charged for the missed appointment whilst your treatment is funded by the NHS, however the Practice may terminate your NHS funded treatment as explained above. You will have a choice to continue with your treatment on a private basis in which case the Private Treatment Cancellation Policy will apply. For the avoidance of doubt, if your treatment is funded privately, there are applicable late cancellation fees.

What if I am late for my appointment?

If you believe you will be late for your appointment, we ask that you notify us as soon as possible. As with all medical facilities, we have a set time scheduled for your appointment. We will always endeavour to accommodate our patients and see them in an unfortunate event that they are running late, however it is important that you understand that we may not be able to do so if this is likely to jeopardise our schedule for the next patient. If you are late for your appointment and we are unable to provide treatment, this will be regarded as a missed appointment. We therefore recommend that you make your way to the Practice with ample time to spare.

We are committed to providing a high-quality service to our Patients. We acknowledge that despite our best efforts we may not always get it right, so if something has gone wrong, we need you to tell us. This will help us to improve our standards of service. We learn from complaints to improve our care and service. In an unfortunate event that we have failed to meet the very high standards we set for ourselves, we will take your feedback, concerns and complaint very seriously. We will always endeavour to deal with your concerns courteously and promptly so that matters are resolved as quickly and efficiently as possible. We will deal with your concerns as sensitively as possible.

How to make a complaint

In the first instance, it may be helpful to discuss your concerns with the person providing you with treatment on the day of your appointment. If you do not feel able to discuss your concerns with them, please contact our Practice Manager, Angela McCracken. She can be contacted as follows:

• by post to 104 Battersea Rise, London, SW11 1EJ
• by emailing her your concerns to angie@orthowise.co.uk
• by calling her on 020 7924 4224

To help us to understand your complaint, and in order that we do not miss anything, please tell us:

• your full name and contact details;
• your patient number (if you have it)
• what you think we have got wrong; and
• how you would like your complaint to be resolved.

If you require any help in making your complaint, we will try to help you.

How we will deal with your complaint

If you have raised your concerns over the telephone or at the reception desk, we will aim to arrange for you to speak to the Practice Manager immediately. If the Practice Manager is not available at the time, we will refer your concerns to them, and they will be in contact with you to obtain more information and address your concerns, if at all possible, immediately. If your concern relates to clinical care or associated charges, the Practice Manager will need to seek feedback from the individual who is involved in your care. If you do not wish for this to happen, it is important that you notify us of this with your complaint. Please note that it may be difficult and, in some circumstances, impossible for us to deal with your complaint if we are unable to discuss your care with the dentist.

On receipt of your complaint, we will write to you within 5 working days acknowledging your complaint, enclosing a copy of this policy.

How will you investigate my complaint?

We will investigate your complaint. This will usually involve:

• reviewing your complaint;
• reviewing your medical file and other relevant documents; and
• liaising with the person who provided you with treatment.

We may also need to ask you for further information or documents. If so, we will ask you to provide the information within a specific period of time. We will update you on the progress of your complaint at appropriate times. We may also, if appropriate, invite you to a meeting to discuss your complaint. You do not have to attend if you do not wish to or if you are unable to. We will be happy to discuss the matter with you by telephone or video conference.

Proper and comprehensive records are kept of any complaint received. The record of your complaint is confidential and will only be accessible on a strictly need to know basis by the relevant members of the team.

The outcome of the complaint

We will write to you at the end of our investigation to tell you what we have done and what we propose to do to resolve your complaint. Where possible, we will aim to do this within 10 working days of the date of our letter of acknowledgement or the date you have provided us additional requested information (whichever is later). Our response will be clear, addressing each of your concerns to the best of our ability. You may also be invited to a meeting to discuss the outcome of your complaint and discuss any practical solutions that may be needed to resolve your concerns. If we are unable to deal with your complaint within 10 working days, we will notify you explaining the reasons for the delay and the likely period within which the investigation will be completed.

What to do if we cannot resolve your complaint

If we are unable to resolve your complaint you can raise your concerns or if you would rather not raise those concerns directly with us, you can contact NHS England which is responsible for NHS dental services. You can contact NHS England by writing to them to PO Box 16738, Redditch, B97 9PT, sending them an email to england.contactus@nhs.net or by calling them on 03003112233. If you are making a complaint by email, please ensure it states: ‘For the attention of the complaints team’ in the subject line. You can find more information on this website https://www.england.nhs.uk/contact-us/complaint/complaining-to-nhse/

If you're not happy with the way your complaint was handled – either by the Practice or NHS England – you may wish to contact the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO). The PHSO makes the final decision on complaints that have not been resolved by NHS England. You can call them on 0345 015 4033 or use the PHSO's secure online form to raise your complaint. You can find the form by visiting their website https://www.ombudsman.org.uk.

If you have serious concerns about the Practice, you can also contact CQC (the Care Quality Commission) which regulates private and NHS dental Care Services in England. Please note CQC does not settle individual disputes, but your feedback about a practice helps it to decide when, where and what to inspect.

If you have a serious concern about a dental professional, you may contact The General Dental Council which is responsible for regulating all dental professionals. You can complain using their online form at www.gdc-uk.org contact them on information@gdc-org.uk or by calling 020 7167 6000.

What will it cost?

We will not charge you for handling your complaint.