Complaints Procedure | Perfect Smile Dental Center

Perfect Smile Dental Centre (ROXDENT LTD)
36 Crown Street, Acton, London W3 8SB
Tel: 07490 565656 | Email: hello@twojdentysta.co.uk

1. Introduction

At Perfect Smile Dental Centre, we are committed to providing dental care of the highest standard. If you are not satisfied with any aspect of our service, we want to hear from you. Your feedback helps us improve and deliver better care for all our patients.

Every patient has the right to make a complaint. This right is guaranteed and will not cost you anything or affect your treatment in any way. Making a complaint will not affect your access to our services or the quality of care you receive.

Our complaints process follows the guidance set out in the General Dental Council (GDC) Standards for the Dental Team (2013, updated 2023), in particular Principle 5: “Have a clear and effective complaints procedure”. All members of our team are trained in handling complaints and treat every concern with seriousness and respect.

Our goal is to resolve every complaint in a fair, prompt and transparent manner. We see every complaint as an opportunity to improve the quality of our service.

Our practice is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the independent regulator of health and social care services in England. We meet the CQC’s standards for being safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.

2. How to make a complaint

You can raise a complaint in the following ways:

In person – speak to our reception team or ask to speak with the Practice Manager
By phone – call us on 07490 565656 (during opening hours)
By email – send a message to hello@twojdentysta.co.uk with the subject line “Complaint”
By post – write to: Perfect Smile Dental Centre, 36 Crown Street, Acton, London W3 8SB

If you prefer, a third party (such as a family member, friend or advocacy organisation) may submit a complaint on your behalf. We will need your written consent to process information relating to the complaint.

Please include the following in your complaint: your contact details, a description of the event, the date it occurred, and what outcome you would like. The more detail you provide, the faster we can look into the matter.

3. Time limits

Ideally, please raise your complaint as soon as possible after the event, preferably within 12 months.

If a complaint is submitted more than 12 months after the event, it will be considered on a case-by-case basis. We may accept it if there are reasonable grounds for the delay (such as illness, being abroad, or unforeseen circumstances). We may also decline to investigate, and if so, we will provide a written explanation of the reason for the refusal.

If the event occurred earlier but you only became aware of the problem at a later date, the 12-month period runs from the date you became aware of the issue. For example: if another dentist discovered a defective crown during a routine check, the clock starts from the date of that check-up. In such cases, please include a brief explanation of why the complaint is being raised after a delay.

4. What happens after you complain

Acknowledgement – we will acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days. You will be told who is handling your case and given an expected response date
Investigation – the Practice Manager will look into your complaint. This may involve reviewing clinical records, speaking with the staff involved, and contacting you for further details. We may ask you for additional information or documents if needed
Response – you will receive a full written response within 10 working days. If the matter requires more time (for example, due to complex circumstances or the need to consult a specialist), we will let you know and provide a new deadline. The maximum time for resolution will not exceed 20 working days
Meeting – if you prefer, we can arrange a meeting to discuss your complaint in person or by phone. The meeting can be arranged at a time convenient for both parties

Conflict of interest: If your complaint relates to a specific dentist or team member, that person will NOT be responsible for investigating or responding to your complaint. The complaint will be handled by the Practice Manager or another member of the management team. We ensure objectivity and impartiality throughout the process.

5. Complaint meetings

If a meeting is arranged to discuss your complaint:

You may bring a support person (a friend, family member, patient advocate or interpreter). Please let us know in advance if you plan to bring someone
Written notes will be taken during the meeting by a designated member of staff
A copy of those notes will be shared with you within 5 working days after the meeting
You will have the opportunity to suggest corrections if you believe anything has been omitted or recorded inaccurately. Corrections should be submitted within 7 days of receiving the notes
After the meeting, you will receive a written summary of the agreed outcomes and any actions the practice will take

6. If you are not satisfied with our response

If you remain dissatisfied after receiving our response, you have the right to escalate your complaint to the following external bodies:

Dental Complaints Service (DCS)

A free and independent service for patients of private dental practices, funded by the GDC.

Website: dcs.gdc-uk.org
Tel: 020 8253 0800
Email: info@dentalcomplaints.org.uk
Address: The Lansdowne Building, 2 Lansdowne Road, Croydon CR9 2ER

General Dental Council (GDC)

The regulator of all dental professionals in the UK. Contact the GDC if your complaint relates to the fitness to practise, conduct or competence of a dental professional. The GDC does not handle complaints about fees or customer service.

Website: www.gdc-uk.org
Tel: 020 7167 6000
Address: 37 Wimpole Street, London W1G 8DQ

Care Quality Commission (CQC)

The independent regulator of health and social care services in England. The CQC does not investigate individual complaints, but uses reports from patients to monitor the quality and safety of registered practices.

Website: www.cqc.org.uk
Tel: 03000 616161
Address: Citygate, Gallowgate, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4PA

Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

If your complaint relates to NHS-funded treatment and has not been resolved through the NHS complaints procedure, you may escalate it to the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman makes the final decision on complaints about NHS services that have not been resolved locally.

Website: www.ombudsman.org.uk
Tel: 0345 015 4033
Address: Millbank Tower, Millbank, London SW1P 4QP

Citizens Advice Bureau

Free, independent advice on your consumer rights.

Website: www.citizensadvice.org.uk

On request, we will provide you with a copy of all correspondence relating to your complaint. Copies will be prepared within 5 working days of your request.

7. Learning from complaints

We treat complaints as opportunities to improve our service:

The practice maintains a confidential register of all complaints received
Complaints are discussed at team meetings in anonymised form, so we can learn from them and prevent similar issues in the future
If your complaint leads to changes in our procedures, we will let you know (where possible and appropriate)
We carry out an annual review of complaints as part of our internal quality audit, to identify patterns and introduce systemic improvements
Review findings are used to plan staff training and improve daily practice operations
The Practice Manager is responsible for implementing changes arising from the analysis of complaints

8. Accessibility

We want the complaints process to be accessible to everyone:

Complaints may be submitted in English, Polish or Ukrainian. You will receive a response in the language in which you submitted your complaint
Patients with disabilities – we will make reasonable adjustments (for example, wheelchair access, help completing a form, large-print documents)
If you are unable to write, you may make your complaint by telephone. A member of staff will record your complaint and ask you to confirm it verbally. The record will be sent to you for verification
On request, we can arrange an interpreter for a complaint meeting. Please give us at least 3 working days’ notice of this need
If you have difficulty attending the practice, we can discuss your complaint by phone or video call

9. Confidentiality

Your complaint will be treated in confidence. Information will only be shared with those directly involved in investigating it. Your clinical records will not be altered as a result of making a complaint. Data relating to your complaint is stored separately from your clinical records.

Complaint records are retained for 10 years from the date the complaint was resolved, in accordance with NHS Records Management Code of Practice.

10. Effective date and updates

This procedure is effective from 6 March 2026.

We reserve the right to update this procedure. Any changes will be communicated on our website and through notices displayed at reception.

Last updated: 6 March 2026

ROXDENT LTD trading as Perfect Smile Dental Centre, Company No. 08978156, registered in England and Wales