• At Wickham Market Dental Practice we are committed to providing the highest possible standard of care for all our patients. An important part of fulfilling this commitment is ensuring that we work in partnership with you. This helps us understand you and to tend to your specific needs. We have management systems in place to help us, these also define each practice member’s responsibilities when looking after you. 

• In proposing treatment we will take account of your own wishes. We will explain options (where appropriate) and costs, so that you can make an informed choice. We will always explain what we are doing.

• We will do all we can to look after your health. We will ask you about your general health and about any medicines being taken. This helps us to treat you safely. We keep all information about you confidential.

• Cross Infection Control is also essential to the safety of our patients. Every practice member receives training in practice systems for cross infection control.

• We screen all patients for mouth cancer at routine examinations. We ask patients about tobacco and alcohol use because they increase your oral cancer risk.

• Practice working methods are reviewed regularly at meetings with all staff. We encourage all staff to make suggestions for improving the care we give patients.

• We regularly ask patients for their views on our services and welcome suggestions. We have systems for dealing promptly with patient complaints and for ensuring that lessons are learnt from any mistakes that we make.

• All dentists, registered nurses and hygienists in the practice take part in continuing professional development, meeting the General Dental Council’s requirements. We aim to keep up-to-date with current thinking on all aspects of general dentistry, including preventive care, which reduces your need for treatment.

• All staff joining the practice are given training in practice-wide procedures. Once a year there is an individual review of training needs for everyone in the practice. Our nurses are qualified or on a formal training course for a nationally recognised qualification in dental nursing.

• All members of the practice know of the need to ensure that dentists are working safely. In the unlikely event that a dentist in this practice becomes unfit to practise, we have systems to ensure that concerns are investigated and, if necessary, acted upon.

• Confidential discussions with you will be limited to within the surgery. Persons allowed into treatment rooms are limited to essential staff only to promote privacy for our patients. If you wish to discuss at matter in private please enquire at reception and arrangements will be made.

Your commitment to us:

Please treat our staff with the respect you expect from us.
Harassment of our dental team will not be tolerated.
Action may be taken by the practice owner against patients who harass the dental team.
You may be de-registered from the practice.
Harassment includes, but is not limited to violence, abuse or offensive language.

Our commitment to you:

Our aim is for patients to be pleased with their experience of our service.
We take complaints very seriously in this practice.
Please refer to our complaints procedure if you wish to make a complaint.

To help us to provide good service and continue to improve, we welcome all feedback from our patients.
If you feel a part of your treatment has not reached the standards you expect of us, we welcome your comments.
We take complaints very seriously and we try to ensure that all our patients are pleased with the treatment they receive.
If you feel the need to make a complaint about our service, our objective is to deal with that complaint courteously and promptly.

How to complain:

• First point of call is the reception
• If the receptionist is not equipped to handle the complaint she will refer the patient to the Principle Dentist Dr Yasir Saeed
• The person responsible for dealing with any complaint about the service we provide is the Principle Dentist Dr Yasir Saeed
• If a patient complains by letter or email this will also be passed on as soon as possible.
• If a patient wishes to make a more official complaint, then the patient will be asked to put the complaint in writing and address it to Dr Yasir Saeed
• The practice will send the patient a letter of acknowledgment within 7 days while we investigate the issues raised. If the complaint is of a clinical nature it will be passed to the clinician involved in order to respond.
• Where appropriate the patient concerned would be invited to discuss the complaint either on the telephone or at the practice with Dr Yasir Saeed
• The conclusion of the complaint will be issued in writing to the patient.
• All complaints are recorded.