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Decision Report 201305356

  • Case ref:
    201305356
  • Date:
    October 2014
  • Body:
    A Dental Practice in the Forth Valley NHS Board area
  • Sector:
    Health
  • Outcome:
    Complaint withdrawn
  • Subject:
    complaints handling

Summary

Miss C complained about a dentist. The dental practice acknowledged her complaint and told her they intended to respond within 21 days. On the 21st day they wrote to her saying that they needed more time to reach a decision, and would respond within around two weeks. They provided a final response around two weeks later. Miss C complained that the time taken by the practice to respond had been unreasonable. Our investigation found that the practice's complaints procedure said they would seek to respond within ten working days and would give reasons for any requirement to extend this. As the practice had not given Miss C such reasons we upheld the complaint.

Recommendations

We recommended that the practice:

  • apologise to Miss C that they did not give her reasons for the delay in responding to her complaint; and
  • review their complaints procedure in line with NHS Scotland's Can I Help You? guidance.

Related reading

Updated: March 13, 2018