1. If they remain unhappy — where next

This module

This is module 2 of 2 (1 hour). Completing both is the full 2-hour complaints series.

Suggested study time

• NHS, private and ombudsman routes — 20 min
• GDC, reviews and persistent complaints — 18 min
• Learning, records and closing the loop — 17 min
• Knowledge check — 5 min

Always signpost

The local response must say what they can do next. Use the bodies that actually apply to your nation and to NHS versus private care — not an England-only template copied from another practice.

NHS care

After local resolution, NHS complaints follow the commissioner / NHS England-type pathway that currently applies where you work, and then the relevant ombudsman (in England, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman). Names of organisations change: keep your leaflet current.

Private care

The Dental Complaints Service can help resolve many private treatment and service complaints. It is not a fitness-to-practise investigation. Fee disputes may also go to consumer advice or small claims — that is not the DCS’s core job.

Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland

Each has its own NHS complaints and ombudsman map. Your procedure must name those bodies.