Complaints Policy
Last updated: March 2026
At EverySmile Dental we are committed to providing an exceptional standard of care to every patient, every time. We know that despite our best efforts, things can occasionally fall short of what you expected or what we aimed to deliver. When that happens, we want to know about it. Raising a concern or complaint is not something to feel awkward about and it will never affect the quality of care you receive from us. Your feedback, whether positive or critical, helps us improve and we take every complaint seriously.
This policy explains how to raise a concern with us, what will happen when you do and what your options are if you remain unhappy after we have responded.
Our Commitment to You
When you raise a concern or complaint with EverySmile Dental, we commit to the following.
We will acknowledge your complaint promptly, within two working days of receiving it. We will treat your complaint with respect, confidentiality and without prejudice to your ongoing care. We will investigate thoroughly, speaking with the relevant members of the clinical and administrative team and reviewing your records where appropriate. We will respond to you in full within ten working days wherever possible. If the investigation is more complex and requires additional time, we will let you know and keep you updated on progress. We will explain clearly what we found, what went wrong if anything did and what we are doing to put it right. We will apologise sincerely where an apology is appropriate. We will use every complaint as an opportunity to learn and improve the care we provide to all patients.
How to Raise a Concern or Complaint
We always encourage patients to raise concerns as soon as possible after the issue arises. The sooner we know about a problem the easier it is for us to investigate properly and resolve it quickly.
Speaking to a Member of the Team
If you are unhappy about something during or immediately after an appointment, please tell us. You can speak to your dentist, hygienist or any member of the clinical team directly. You can also speak to Kerry Whittaker, our Practice Manager, who is the first point of contact for all formal complaints at EverySmile. Many concerns can be resolved quickly and informally at this stage and we would always prefer the opportunity to put something right on the day if at all possible.
Raising a Formal Complaint in Writing
If you would prefer to raise your concern in writing, or if an informal conversation has not resolved the matter to your satisfaction, you can submit a formal complaint by email or post.
By email: hello@everysmile.co.uk By post: Kerry Whittaker, Practice Manager, EverySmile Dental, 1c Desford Lane, Ratby, Leicester, LE6 0LE By phone: 0116 350 3322
When raising your complaint please include your full name, date of birth and contact details, the date or dates the issue occurred, a clear description of what happened and what you would like us to do to resolve it. The more detail you can provide the more thoroughly we can investigate.
Complaints on Behalf of Another Patient
If you are raising a complaint on behalf of another patient, for example a child, an elderly relative or someone who has asked you to act on their behalf, please let us know your relationship to the patient and include written confirmation that they have authorised you to act for them where possible.
What Happens After You Complain
Step 1: Acknowledgement We will acknowledge your complaint within two working days of receiving it, either by phone, email or letter depending on your preference. We will confirm the name of the person handling your complaint and give you an expected timeframe for our full response.
Step 2: Investigation Kerry Whittaker, our Practice Manager, will lead the investigation into your complaint. This will involve reviewing your clinical records and appointment history, speaking with the relevant members of the team and gathering any other information necessary to understand what happened and why.
For complaints involving clinical care, Dr Aisha Shabir will be involved in reviewing the clinical elements of the case. Where a complaint involves a specific clinician, that clinician will have the opportunity to respond to the concerns raised as part of the investigation process.
Step 3: Our Response We will provide you with a full written response within ten working days of receiving your complaint wherever possible. Our response will include a clear account of what we found during our investigation, an explanation of what happened and why, an apology where one is appropriate, details of any action we are taking as a result and information about your options if you remain dissatisfied.
Step 4: Resolution We hope that our response will address your concerns fully and to your satisfaction. If there are aspects of our response you would like to discuss further, please contact us and we will arrange a time to speak with you directly. We are always willing to meet with patients in person to discuss a complaint where that would be helpful.
If You Are Not Satisfied With Our Response
We genuinely hope to resolve every complaint to your satisfaction at practice level. However, we understand that this is not always possible and you have the right to take your complaint further if you remain unhappy after receiving our final response.
The Dental Complaints Service
The Dental Complaints Service is a free, independent service that helps patients and dental professionals resolve complaints about private dental treatment. If you are unhappy with our response to your complaint, you can refer the matter to the Dental Complaints Service within twelve months of the issue arising or within twelve months of becoming aware of the issue.
Dental Complaints Service Website: dentalcomplaints.org.uk Phone: 0208 253 0800
The General Dental Council
The General Dental Council is the regulatory body for dental professionals in the UK. If your concern relates to the professional conduct, behaviour or fitness to practise of a registered dental professional rather than a dispute about the outcome of treatment, you have the right to raise those concerns directly with the GDC.
General Dental Council Website: gdc-uk.org Phone: 020 7167 6000 Email: information@gdc-uk.org 37 Wimpole Street, London, W1G 8DQ
The Care Quality Commission
The Care Quality Commission regulates health and social care services in England. If you have concerns about the safety or quality of care provided at the practice more broadly, you can contact the CQC directly.
Care Quality Commission Website: cqc.org.uk Phone: 03000 616161
Confidentiality
All complaints are handled in strict confidence. Information about your complaint will only be shared with members of the EverySmile team who are directly involved in the investigation and resolution process. Your complaint will be recorded in our complaints log, which is reviewed regularly as part of our commitment to quality improvement. Your personal information will be handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy at all times.
Raising a complaint will never result in any change to the standard of care you receive at EverySmile. Your ongoing treatment will not be affected in any way by the fact that you have raised a concern.
Learning From Complaints
Every complaint we receive is an opportunity to improve. We review all complaints regularly as part of our internal governance and quality improvement processes. Where a complaint reveals a systemic issue or a gap in our processes, we will take action to address it and, where appropriate, will let you know what changes we have made as a result of your feedback.
We are genuinely grateful to every patient who takes the time to tell us when something has not met their expectations. It takes courage to raise a concern and we never take that lightly.
Compliments and Feedback
We are equally keen to hear when things have gone well. If a member of the team has gone above and beyond, if your experience exceeded your expectations or if there is something specific about your care that you would like to share, please do. You can leave a Google review, speak to a member of the team directly or drop us an email at hello@everysmile.co.uk. Positive feedback means an enormous amount to the whole team and is shared with the individuals involved.
Contact Us
To raise a concern or complaint, or to find out more about this policy, please contact us directly.
Kerry Whittaker, Practice Manager EverySmile Dental 1c Desford Lane, Ratby, Leicester, LE6 0LE Email: hello@everysmile.co.uk Phone: 0116 350 3322
Frequently Asked Questions About Our Complaints Process
Absolutely not. Raising a complaint will never affect the standard of care you receive at the practice. Every complaint is handled separately from your clinical care and your relationship with the team will not be affected in any way by the fact that you have raised a concern.
We aim to acknowledge all complaints within two working days and to provide a full written response within ten working days. More complex cases may take longer and we will always keep you informed if additional time is needed. We will never leave you without an update.
We are always happy to receive anonymous feedback and will act on it where we can. However, anonymous complaints are more difficult to investigate thoroughly because we cannot review specific clinical records or follow up with you to clarify details. If you have a specific concern about your own care, we strongly encourage you to identify yourself so we can investigate properly and respond to you directly.
Yes. If your complaint relates to the conduct or clinical care of a specific member of the team, please include their name or a description of the person in your complaint. All staff complaints are handled sensitively and confidentially and the individual concerned will be given a fair opportunity to respond as part of the investigation.
We will always do our best to investigate complaints regardless of when they occurred. However, the further back an incident occurred the more limited our ability to investigate may be, particularly where records or memories of specific appointments are incomplete. We encourage patients to raise concerns as soon as possible after they arise. The Dental Complaints Service also has a twelve month time limit from the date of the issue or from when you became aware of it, so raising concerns promptly also protects your ability to escalate if needed.
Yes. The Dental Complaints Service is a free, independent service for patients with complaints about private dental treatment. There is no charge to refer a complaint and the service is entirely impartial.