Statement of purpose

This dental practice consists of dedicated and professional employees. We strive to be acknowledged by our clients, suppliers and regulators as a leader in our sector. This will be achieved by ensuring that we recruit and train highly professional staff whose ambitions are to exceed client expectations.

Our Aims:

We aim to provide dental care and treatment of consistently good quality for all patients and only to provide services that meet patients’ needs and wishes. We aim to make care and treatment as comfortable and convenient as possible. In addition we aim:

• To understand and exceed the expectations of our clients
• To both motivate and invest in our team and acknowledge their value
• To encourage all team members to participate in achieving our aims and objectives
• To clearly set and monitor targets in all areas
• To invest in property, equipment and technology and to innovate processes based on a measured business case

Our Objectives:

The objectives of the practice are to deliver a service of high standard in line with professional standards:

• To be accountable for individual and team performance
• To support each other in achieving patient expectations
• To maintain the highest professional and ethical standards
• To rapidly respond to the needs of our team and our patients
• To encourage innovation, ambition, enterprise and continuous improvement
• To ensure staff are trained and competent through investment and personal development.

This is achieved by offering patients a personal service, integrating the highest quality products with the latest proven techniques and protocols.

Patients are treated with honesty and integrity, in complete confidence and the utmost discretion, in comfortable surroundings, at a reasonable cost.

The practice complies with the requirements of the Advertising Standards Authority and ensures that any advertisements reflect the true nature of services offered.

Services Provided

The regulated activities provided include:

• Treatment of disease, disorder or injury
• Surgical procedures
• Diagnostic and screening procedures

This practice offers dental services to all its patients which consist of:

• Preventative advice and treatment
• Routine and restorative dental care
• Root canal treatment
• Dental hygiene
• Surgical treatment
• Tooth whitening
• Crown and bridgework
• Implants
• Restorative dentistry

Name, address and contact details of the service provider

Buckingham House Dental Surgery
35, Graham Road,
Malvern,
Worcestershire,
WR14 2HU
Tel: 01684 573109
Email: info@bckhouse.co.uk
www.bckhouse.co.uk

Staff within the practice:

Facilities within the Premises

• Buckingham House Dental Surgery is well located on a main bus route and within walking distance of  Great Malvern Station

• Our large patient Waiting Rooms provide a comfortable waiting space

• We have dedicated childrens’ corners where children can make themselves at home while they wait and play with a selection of books, toys and puzzles

• We are in the process of constructing a purpose-built decontamination facility to assure Best Practice standards of infection control

• There is a downstairs surgery to provide easy access for wheelchair users or people with problems with mobility

• We have disabled access toilet and baby changing facilities on the Ground Floor

• We employ digital imaging for instant radiography at the lowest dosage

Making an appointment – All patients are seen on an appointment basis.

Cancellation Policy - At least 24 hours’ notice is required of a cancellation otherwise a charge will be made, which will be based on the circumstances of the patient and at the practice’s discretion

Smoking Policy - In order to provide a safe and smoke free environment for staff and patients, the establishment is a no smoking area.

Methods of Payment/Credit - All major credit/debit cards are accepted.

Mobile Phones - Patients are requested not to use mobile phones within the building

Car Parking - There are parking facilities at the practice.

Client Centred Care - We care about providing the right treatment for patients, so treatments and procedures are only carried out after fully discussing the pros and cons with the patient.

Consultations - All consultations are carried out in person with patients, by qualified personnel in the privacy of the treatment room.

Records of all consultation and treatments are kept in patients’ notes.

At the initial consultation, a medical history will be taken and an outline of the problem the patient presents with. They will be given information on any planned procedure and all alternatives will be discussed, and consent obtained prior to commencement.

Patient/Client Records - Patient details are taken at the initial consultation and these form part of the patient records

Information Provided to the Patients - This practice ensures that information provided to patients and prospective patients and their families/carers is accurate and that any claims made in respect of services are justified. This is in the form of a Patient Information Leaflet.

Treatment of Children – We do provide treatment for children. We will expect minors to be accompanied to the practice by their parents.

Consent - The practice operates a consent policy which will be advised at the first consultation 

Patients have the right to make their own decisions regarding dental treatment and care. Prior to the commencement of treatment, patients will be required to sign a form of consent.

Consent to treatment must always be given freely and voluntarily by a person capable of making decisions regarding the treatment. Those with a learning disability must be accompanied by a parent or guardian who will sign the consent form on their behalf.

Patient Surveys -The practice will obtain the views of its patients least once during their course of treatment, and use these to inform the provision of treatment and care of prospective patients

• Patients are notified as to the availability of the survey whilst in the Waiting Rooms. The Patient Information Leaflet itself is always readily available to patients and copies are available in the Waiting Rooms and at Reception.
  
  
• It is the policy of this practice also to carry outregular random patient surveys to seek the views of our patients as to the quality of the treatment and care provided by our personnel.

This also enables the practice to ensure compliance with its quality monitoring policy in line with its standards. These results will be available as a newsletter available in the Waiting Rooms or at Reception for patients and their families. These will also be issued to the Care Quality Commission as and when requested.

• Patients views will be collated into a report by entering the results into a spreadsheet and totals and percentages will be calculated as to the overall performance. Explanation of the totals may also be represented by visual aids such as graphs and charts.  The results of the survey will also be made available to staff by way of discussion at regular staff meetings. Guidance as to where and how to access the report will be noted in the minutes of these staff meetings.

Privacy and dignity of patients - The privacy and dignity of patients are respected at all times.  This practice has a policy of Patient Confidentiality and all information and records are kept safe and confidential.  There are facilities for patients to have private conversations with the clinical and reception staff.

Checklist for Consultation – We will explain the procedure to the patient and give them an opportunity to ask questions. We will explain what we are doing at each stage of the procedure.

If a chaperone has been present, we will record the identity of the chaperone in the notes and any other relevant issues or concerns immediately following the consultation.

Complaints Procedure - This practice operates a complaints procedure as part of its dealing with patients’ complaints which complies with the Care Quality Commission requirements. 

Patients are asked that in the event of any complaint, to speak directly or write to The Practice Manager. Patients who require further advice regarding the complaints process should direct their enquiry to one of the other Partners in the Practice who, when applicable, will recommend the services of an independent advocate.  A copy of the complaints process is held in the waiting room.

What we shall do - Our complaints procedure is designed to make sure that we settle any complaints as quickly as possible. We shall acknowledge complaints within 2 working days and aim to have looked into the complaint within 10 working days of the date when it was raised.  We shall then be in a position to offer an explanation or a meeting as appropriate. If there are any delays in the process we will keep the complainant informed.

When we look into a complaint, we shall aim to:

• find out what happened and what, if anything, went wrong
• make it possible for the complainant to discuss the problem with those concerned
• Identify what we can do to make sure the problem does not happen again.

At the end of the investigation the complaint will be discussed with the complainant in detail, either in person or in writing.

Complaining on behalf of someone else - The rules of medical confidentiality will be adhered to if the complaint is received on behalf of someone else. A note signed by the person concerned will be required, unless they are incapable (e.g. because of illness) of providing this to allow the complaint to be investigated. If the complaint is not resolved to the patient’s satisfaction, the patient will be advised to write to:

Care Quality Commission 
Healthcare Team
Citygate - Gallowgate
Newcastle upon Tyne - NE1 4PA
Email:    info@cqc.org.uk / Website: www.cqc.org.uk

Help us to get it right - We constantly try to improve the service we offer, so we will encourage patients to let us know when we have done something well or if there are any suggestions as to how we can do something better.

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Complaints Procedure – Information for Patients

IIf you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from the dentists or any of the staff working in this practice, please let us know.  We operate a practice complaints procedure.  Our complaint system adheres to national criteria.

We hope that most problems can be sorted out easily and quickly, at the time they arise and with the person concerned.  If your problem cannot be sorted in this way and you wish to make a complaint, we would like you to let us know as soon as possible – ideally, within a matter of days or at most a few weeks – because this will enable us to establish what happened most easily.  If it is not possible to do that, please let us have details of your complaint.

Complaints about the treatment you received should be made to the dentist who normally sees you.  Alternatively, you may ask for an appointment to see one of the other Partners in the Practice in order to discuss your concerns.  He will explain the complaints procedure to you and will ensure that your concerns are dealt with promptly.  It will help if you are as clear as possible about your complaint.

Russell Bennett one of four partners has worked as an arbitrator for the former Local Family Health Practitioners Association, he is also happy to receive or listen to your concerns if you do not wish to direct them to your usual dentist.
If your concern is not about the treatment you have received but about the service in general our Practice Manager Mrs Karen Potts would like to hear from you. Please telephone the surgery to arrange to speak to her or alternatively put your concerns in writing.

We shall acknowledge your complaint within 2 working days and aim to have looked into your complaint within 10 working days of the date when you raised it with us.  We shall then be in a position to give you an explanation, or offer a meeting with those involved.
In investigating your complaint, we shall aim to:

• find out what happened and what went wrong
• enable you to discuss the problem with those concerned, if you would like this;
• ensure you receive an apology, where this is appropriate;
• identify what we can do to make sure the problem does not happen again.
  

Please note that we keep strictly to the rules of confidentiality.  If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we have to know that you have the permission to do so.  A note signed by the person concerned will be needed, unless that are incapable of providing this because of physical or mental illness or are a child under 16 years.

We hope that, if you have a problem, you will make use of our practice complaints procedure.  We believe this will provide the best chance of putting right whatever has gone wrong and an opportunity to improve our practice.  However this does not affect your right to complain to the Dental Complaints Service, if you feel you cannot raise your complaint with us or you are dissatisfied with the result of our investigation.  If you wish further advice you should contact:
Dental Complaints Service
The Lansdowne Building
2 Lansdowne Road
Croyden
CR9 2ER
Tel. 08456 120 540

E-mail:  info@dental complaints.org.uk

You may also like to contact The General Dental Council for more advice

The General Dental Council
37 Wimpole Street
London
W1M 8DQ
Tel. 020 7887 3800

E-mail:  Complaints@gdc-uk.org

For  patients registered with this practice and  Denplan you can contact Denplan by telephone for advice and they also offer an impartial complaints handling service:
Denplan
Tel. 0800 169 7220

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