Complaints and Compliments Procedure
At Oakdale Dental, it is our aim to provide the highest standard of care in a friendly, efficient, and safe environment. We continuously strive to improve the services we provide and your feedback is invaluable in helping us achieve this. We want to know if we are meeting your expectations, and if not, how we can improve.
We are sorry that you have felt the need to visit this page. We value all feedback and view complaints as an opportunity to improve our services and patient experience. Most concerns can be resolved quickly and easily, often at the time they arise.
We are committed to handling your concerns courteously, promptly, and in a caring and sensitive manner. Our aim is to resolve any issue as quickly as possible while learning from every experience.
The person responsible for managing complaints is our Patient Care Coordinator, who can be contacted on 0116 262 7150.
If you would like to discuss any aspect of your experience with us whether positive or otherwise, please click here
How to Make a Complaint
Our aim is to resolve things as quickly and informally as possible. If you have a particular concern or complaint, please speak to someone involved in your treatment, such as the dentist, hygienist, nurse or receptionist. They are often the best person to deal with your concerns and will try to put things right on the spot.
If you wish to make a formal complaint, we ask you to put this in writing, providing full details of your complaint. The practice manager will contact you on receipt of this letter, giving you an approximate timescale for the investigation of your complaint. They may also require further information to help us understand exactly what happened.
Once a full investigation has taken place, a written response outlining our findings will be sent to you, usually within 20 working days. Sometimes an investigation may take longer; if so, you will be contacted.
Complaints made to practice
In this practice we take complaints very seriously indeed and try to ensure that all patients are pleased with their experience of our service. When patients complain, they are dealt with courteously and promptly so that the matter is resolved as quickly as possible. This procedure is based on these objectives.
The person responsible for dealing with any complaints about the service is Dr Alif Moosajee. He can be contacted via email at info@oakdaledental.co.uk or by phone on 0116 26 27 150.
If a patient complains on the telephone or at the reception desk, we will listen to their complaint and offer to refer them to Dr Alif Moosajee. The member of staff will take brief details of the complaint and pass these on. If we cannot arrange this within a reasonable time, or if the patient does not wish to wait to discuss the matter, arrangements will be made for someone else to deal with it.
If the patient complains in writing, the letter will be passed on immediately to Dr Alif Moosajee.
If a complaint is about any aspect of clinical care or associated charges, it will normally be referred to the treating dentist, unless the patient does not wish for this to happen.
We will acknowledge the patient's complaint within three working days. You will be invited to discuss your concerns; we will seek to investigate the complaint within an agreed time frame from the complaint being received, to give an explanation of the circumstances which led to the complaint. If we are unable to investigate the complaint within this agreed time period, we will notify the patient, giving reasons for the delay and a likely period within which the investigation will be completed.
We will confirm the decision about the complaint in writing immediately after completing our investigation. This will be within 14 days of the complaint being received.
Complaining on Behalf of Someone Else
We respect patient confidentiality at all times. If you are making a complaint on behalf of someone else, we will require their written consent. A signed letter from the patient will be sufficient.
Acknowledgement & Investigation
- Within 3 working days - We will acknowledge your complaint and invite you to discuss your concerns with us.
- Within 10 working days - We aim to fully investigate the complaint. If we need more time, we will contact you to explain the reason for the delay and provide an updated timeline.
- On Completion - A full written response confirming our findings will be provided — normally within 14 days of receiving your complaint. Occasionally an investigation may take longer; if so, you will be contacted with an updated timeline.
What We Aim To Do
In handling your complaint, we aim to:
- Understand what happened and what concerns you most
- Offer you the opportunity to discuss the issue with those involved, where appropriate
- Identify steps to prevent the issue from happening again
- Respond to all verbal and written concerns courteously and promptly
Handling Complaints At The Practice
The person responsible for managing complaints at Oakdale Dental is our Practice Manager, who can be contacted on 0116 262 7150. Complaints relating to clinical care or associated charges will usually be referred to the treating dentist, unless the patient requests otherwise.
If you are not satisfied with our response
We always aim to resolve complaints within the practice. However, if you remain dissatisfied, you may refer your complaint to an independent organisation:
Dental Complaints Service
The Dental Complaints Service provides a free and impartial service to help resolve complaints about private dental care.
Website: www.dentalcomplaints.org.uk
Phone: 020 8253 0800
Financial Ombudsman Service
The Financial Ombudsman Service provides a free and impartial service to help resolve complaints about financial businesses, including insurance providers. If you have a complaint about a financial product or service that has not been resolved to your satisfaction, the Financial Ombudsman may be able to help.
Website:https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/
Email: complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.uk
Phone: 0800 023 4567
General Dental Council
The General Dental Council regulates dental professionals in the UK. They do not deal with complaints about service or costs. However, you may contact them if you have serious concerns about a dental professional's fitness to practise, including concerns relating to patient safety, professional conduct, or a professional's health where it may impact their ability to provide safe care.
Website: www.gdc-uk.org
Phone: 020 7167 6000
How to Make a Compliment
If you are pleased with the care or service you have received at Oakdale Dental and would like to recognise a member of our team, we would be delighted to hear from you. Your feedback helps us maintain a high standard of care and continually improve our services.
Ways To Share Your Compliment
- In person - Speak verbally with any member of our team
- Feedback form - In writing via our feedback form at reception
- Online review - Via our Google page or Trustpilot
At Oakdale Dental, we take all feedback seriously. While we are committed to resolving any concerns promptly and courteously, positive feedback allows us to recognise excellence and further enhance the experience we provide to our patients.
Feedback Form
You can also submit your feedback directly using our online feedback form. Whether you have a compliment, a suggestion, or a concern, we welcome all responses.