Complaints Policy

Our commitment to you

At Church View Dental (trading name of Church View Clinic Limited), we are committed to providing the highest standards of care and service to all our patients. We take all feedback seriously and view complaints as an opportunity to improve the quality of our services.

If we have fallen short of your expectations, we will do our best to resolve the matter quickly, professionally, and with courtesy. Our complaints procedure follows NHS guidelines and is designed to ensure any concerns are handled promptly and fairly.

How to make a complaint

If you are unhappy with any aspect of the care or service you have received, you can make a complaint in one of the following ways:

In writing: Email us at manager@church-view-dental.com or write to us at: Church View Dental, 34A Station Road, Upminster, Essex, RM14 2TR.
In person: You can speak to a member of our reception team or ask to speak directly with the Practice Manager. If they are not available at the time, we will arrange a suitable time for you to meet with them. Our team can also help you record your complaint in writing if you wish.
By phone: Call us on 01708 220563 and ask to speak with the Practice Manager.

All complaints are managed by our Complaints Manager, who is responsible for ensuring they are handled appropriately and resolved wherever possible.

What happens next

We aim to resolve complaints as quickly as possible and will follow these timescales:

We will acknowledge your complaint in writing within 5 working days of receiving it.
We aim to provide a full written response within 10 working days.
If the investigation takes longer, we will keep you informed and send a full response within 5 working days of the investigation being completed.

Throughout the process, we will keep you updated and explain any actions we are taking to resolve the matter.

Our approach

All complaints are treated confidentially.
Making a complaint will not affect the care or treatment you receive from our team.
We will always aim to resolve your concerns directly and learn from any issues raised.
We will review complaints regularly to identify areas for improvement in our service.

If you are not satisfied with the outcome

If you are unhappy with the result of our complaints procedure, you can escalate your complaint to the relevant external organisation:

‍NHS patients
‍If you received NHS care and remain dissatisfied, you can contact:
NHS England
Email: england.contactus@nhs.net

If you are still unhappy about the outcome of your NHS complaint, you can contact:
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (England)
Tel: 0345 015 4033
Website: www.ombudsman.org.uk

‍Private patients
‍If you received private care and remain dissatisfied, you can contact:
Dental Complaints Service
Stephenson House, 2 Cherry Orchard Road, Croydon, CR0 6BA
Tel: 0845 120 5400
Email: info@dentalcomplaints.org.uk
Website: www.dentalcomplaints.org.uk

‍You can contact the Dental Complaints Service within 12 months of your treatment or within 12 months of becoming aware of the issue by calling 020 8253 0800 or visiting their website above.

‍Other organisations you can contact
Care Quality Commission (CQC)
The CQC regulates private and NHS dental care services in England. If you believe we are not meeting the required standards, you can contact them:
Tel: 03000 616161
Website: www.cqc.org.uk

‍General Dental Council (GDC)
The GDC regulates all dental professionals in the UK. If you wish to raise concerns about the professional conduct of a dentist or dental care professional, you can contact them via:
Email: information@gdc-uk.org
Tel: 020 7167 6000
Website: www.gdc-uk.org

Learning from complaints

We believe that patient feedback, including complaints, is an essential part of improving our services. All complaints are reviewed by the practice management team, and any necessary changes to our policies, procedures, or training are implemented as a result.

‍Last updated: October, 2025