Complaints Procedure

Complaint Handling Procedures
The Old Surgery Dental Practice, Crewe
2026-07-16

At The Old Surgery Dental Practice, we take complaints very seriously and aim to ensure that all our patients are pleased with their experience of our service. When patients complain, they are dealt with courteously and promptly so that the matter is resolved as quickly as possible.

The practice has based our complaints procedure around the “Making a complaint about dental services: six principles of good complaint handling.”

The following principles set out what patients can expect if they would like to provide feedback or raise a concern:

1. All of Your Feedback is Important to Us

  • All feedback is welcomed, such as what we did well, what we could do better, or any other feedback.
  • We will use your feedback to help us improve, and we will show you how we have learned.
  • You can use our complaints procedure to provide feedback. If you don’t want to do this, speak to a member of staff.

2. We Want to Make it Easy for You to Raise a Concern or Complain

  • Information about our complaints procedure is easy to find, without you having to ask.
  • You can write to us or tell us in person.
  • We will take your complaint seriously.
  • Our complaints information also tells you how to raise a complaint about us with another organisation.

3. We Follow a Complaints Procedure and Keep You Informed

  • We will tell you who is dealing with your complaint and when to expect a response.
  • We will keep you informed of the progress of your complaint, including any delays.
  • You should feel confident we are following our complaints procedure.

4. We Will Try to Answer All Your Questions and Concerns

  • It should be clear to you what happened and why.
  • Our response will be empathetic in tone and coordinated.
  • We will deal with your complaint in the time we said we would.

5. We Want You to Have a Positive Experience of Making a Complaint

  • You should feel we have followed a clear procedure in the time we said we would.
  • You should not be treated differently if you complain.
  • You should understand how the outcome of your complaint was reached.
  • You should feel confident raising a complaint again if needed, and be able to recommend our procedure to others.
  • You should feel we have listened to you and acted in a fair way.
  • You should know what further help is available if you are unhappy with how we handled your complaint.

6. Your Feedback Helps Us to Improve Our Service

  • We are learning all the time from your feedback and complaints.
  • We show you how your feedback and complaints are listened to and acted upon.
  • All members of our dental team are committed to improving the service we provide.

Our Approach to Handling Complaints

Our aim is to respond to complaints in the same way we would want our own concerns to be handled. We learn from every mistake we make and respond to patients’ concerns in a caring and sensitive manner.

  • Complaints Manager: The person responsible for dealing with any complaint about our service is Lisa Bainham.
  • If a patient complains by telephone or in person, we will listen carefully and offer to refer them to the Complaints Manager immediately. If unavailable, we will inform the patient when they can expect to speak with them and make arrangements accordingly.
  • The staff member receiving the complaint will make a written record and provide the patient with a copy, as well as passing it to the Complaints Manager. If the patient does not wish to wait or we cannot arrange contact within a reasonable period, another team member will handle it.
  • If the complaint is made in writing or by email, it will be passed immediately to the Complaints Manager.
  • If the complaint is about clinical care or associated charges, it will normally be referred to the dentist concerned, unless the patient requests otherwise.
  • We will acknowledge the complaint in writing within 3 working days, and enclose a copy of this policy. We will offer to discuss the complaint at a time convenient for the patient and agree how they would like to be kept informed (e.g. by phone, face-to-face, letter, or email).
  • We will inform the patient about how the complaint will be handled and the likely timeframe for resolution. If the patient does not wish to discuss it, we will still confirm the expected timescale.
  • We aim to investigate complaints promptly and efficiently, keeping the patient informed of progress wherever possible. Investigations will normally be completed within 6 months.
  • Once the investigation is complete, we will provide a full written report, including how the complaint was considered, conclusions for each part, any remedial action taken, and confirmation of satisfaction with the outcome.
  • Proper and comprehensive records are kept of all complaints received, including any actions taken to improve our service as a result.

Escalating a Complaint

If patients are not satisfied with the result of our procedure, they may contact the following organisations:

NHS Complaints

For complaints about NHS treatment:
NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB Board
Phone: 0800 132 996
Email: enquiries@cheshireandmerseyside.nhs.uk

Post:
Patient Advice and Complaints Team
NHS Cheshire and Merseyside
No 1 Lakeside
920 Centre Park Square
Warrington
WA1 1QY

Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO)

For NHS patients in England:
Phone: 0345 015 4033
Online form: https://ombudsman.achieveservice.com/module/home

Click here to download a .pdf version of this document

At The Old Surgery Dental Practice, we take complaints very seriously and try to ensure that all our patients are pleased with their experience of our service. When patients complain, they are dealt with courteously and promptly so that the matter is resolved as quickly as possible.

The practice has based our complaints procedure around the “Making a complaint about dental services: six principles of good complaint handling.”

The following principles set out what patients can expect if they would like to provide feedback or raise a concern:

1. All of Your Feedback is Important to Us

  • All feedback is welcomed, such as what we did well, what we could do better, or any other feedback.
  • We will use your feedback to help us improve, and we will show you how we have learned.
  • You can use our complaints procedure to provide feedback. If you don’t want to do this, speak to a member of staff.

2. We Want to Make it Easy for You to Raise a Concern or Complain

  • Information about our complaints procedure is easy to find, without you having to ask.
  • You can write to us or tell us in person.
  • We will take your complaint seriously.
  • Our complaints information also tells you how to raise a complaint about us with another organisation.

3. We Follow a Complaints Procedure and Keep You Informed

  • We will tell you who is dealing with your complaint and when to expect a response.
  • We will keep you informed of the progress of your complaint, including information on any delays.
  • You should feel confident we are following our complaints procedure.

4. We Will Try to Answer All Your Questions and Concerns

  • It should be clear to you what happened and why.
  • Our response should be empathetic in tone and coordinated.
  • We will deal with your complaint in the time we said we would.

5. We Want You to Have a Positive Experience of Making a Complaint

  • You should feel we have followed a clear procedure in the time we said we would.
  • You should not be treated differently if you complain.
  • You understand how the outcome of your complaint was reached.
  • You feel you could raise a complaint again if needed, and could recommend our procedure to others.
  • You feel we have listened to you and acted in a fair way.
  • You know what further help is available if you are unhappy with how we handled your complaint.

6. Your Feedback Helps Us to Improve Our Service

  • We are learning all the time from your feedback and complaints.
  • We show you how your feedback and complaints are listened to and acted upon.
  • All members of our dental team are committed to improving the service we provide.

Our Approach to Handling Complaints

Our aim is to react to complaints in the way we would want our own concerns to be handled. We learn from every mistake we make, and we respond to our patients’ concerns in a caring and sensitive way.

  • Complaints Manager: The person responsible for dealing with any complaint about the service we provide is Lisa Bainham.
  • If a patient complains on the telephone or at the reception desk, we will listen and offer to refer them to the Complaints Manager immediately. If unavailable, we will inform the patient when they can expect to speak with them and make arrangements accordingly.
  • The member of staff will take brief details of the complaint and pass them on. If the patient does not wish to wait or we cannot arrange contact within a reasonable period, another team member will handle it.
  • If a patient complains in writing, the letter will be passed immediately to the Complaints Manager.
  • If the complaint concerns clinical care or associated charges, it will normally be referred to the dentist unless the patient requests otherwise.
  • We will acknowledge the patient’s complaint in writing and enclose a copy of this policy as soon as possible, normally within 3 working days.
  • We aim to investigate the complaint within 10 working days of receipt and provide an explanation of the circumstances which led to the complaint.
  • If the patient does not wish to meet in person, we will attempt to discuss the matter over the telephone.
  • If we are unable to complete the investigation within 10 working days, we will notify the patient, explain the reason for the delay, and give an estimated timeframe for completion.
  • We will confirm the outcome of the complaint in writing immediately after completing our investigation.
  • Proper and comprehensive records are kept of every complaint received.

Escalating a Complaint

If patients are not satisfied with the result of our procedure, they may contact the following organisations:

Dental Complaints Service (Private Treatment)

Address: 37 Wimpole Street, London W1G 8DQ
Phone: 0208 253 0800
Email: info@dentalcomplaints.org.uk

General Dental Council

Address: 37 Wimpole Street, London, W1G 8DQ
Phone: 0207 167 6000
Email: standards@gdc-uk.org

Care Quality Commission

Address: Citygate, Gallowgate, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4PA
Phone: 03000 616161
Email: enquiries@cqc.org.uk

Click here to download a .pdf version of this document

David Cohen

PhD, MSc, BDS, MFGDP, LDSRCS, CUEW, MEWI

GDC Reg No: 45658

David is a Specialist Endodontist, and for over 25 years has been helping general dental practitioners solve their endodontic problems. In that time he has treated something over 20,000 teeth!

David qualified in 1971 with BDS from the Royal Dental Hospital of London and 1972 LDSRCS from the Royal College of Surgeons of England. Following qualification he worked in general practice in Manchester.

At a lecture by an endodontist in 1976, David became interested in Endodontics and in order to advance his knowledge in this field he undertook a number of postgraduate courses in the United States at Boston University School of Graduate Dentistry, under the leadership of Dr. Herbert Schilder.

In 1981 David commenced part-time postgraduate research in Endodontics, which led to him being awarded an MSc in 1984 on the strength of a thesis entitled “An Investigation into the relative merits of some Endodontic Filling Systems”.

In 1986 he was invited to undertake further research work, culminating in him being awarded a PhD by the University of Manchester in 1991 on the basis of his thesis entitled “Development and Evaluation of Endodontic Filling and Pulp Capping Materials”. This led to the development of new materials in both areas of root filling and pulp capping and worldwide patents for such materials.

In 1981 David opened a practice ‘Limited to Endodontics’ part-time, which has now grown into the full time practice. For a number of years he taught postgraduate Endodontics and undergraduate studies as a Lecturer at Manchester Dental Hospital and he currently holds the position of Honorary Research Associate at Manchester University. David was admitted to the endodontic specialist register as soon as the register was inaugurated in 1998. He has written widely on endodontic subjects and in 1994 he was a Visiting Fellow to the Singapore Ministry of Health. David has also lectured extensively in the U.K. and U.S.A.

David has served as the President of the British Endodontic Society and Chairman and/or executive member of a number of local dental and endodontic associations. He has also since 1979 been a member and regular attender at meetings of the American Association of Endodontists.

David has also been producing medico-legal reports for many years, and have to date produced over 500 reports for solicitors, both claimant and defendant. In 2005 he was awarded a Certificate of Expert Witness Accreditation by Cardiff University and in 2008 he was accepted as a member of the Expert Witness Institute.

Steve Lomas

BDS (Birmingham) Honorary
PG Dip Rest Dentistry from BARD
GDC 68108

Steve qualified from the University of Birmingham in 1992. He remained in the West Midlands for the next five years before moving to Crewe. Steve opened The Old Surgery Dental Practice in February 1998 and has developed it from a single handed practice to its current six surgeries.

Steve is highly committed to a preventive approach to dentistry, aiming to help his patients attain and retain excellent dental health. His special interest is the management of tooth wear, especially early diagnosis and intervention to prevent more severe problems occurring later in life.

This has led to Steve becoming one of only a handful of UK dentists to have completed the full Dawson Academy training pathway, allowing him to practise Complete Dentistry and fully understand the whole masticatory system, including being able to help with uncomfortable bites and clicking joints.

Being a Dawson dentist allows Steve to do what is necessary to achieve long term maintainable health and comfort, along with the creation of a beautiful natural smile, knowing that he is using the least amount of dentistry possible.

Steve is a Full Member of the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is also a member of the British Academy of Restorative Dentistry, and facilitates a South Cheshire study group on behalf of the BARD, providing postgraduate education for other dentists.

He spent 2010 completing a Certificate in Aesthetic Dentistry with the prestigious Tipton Training academy, and was delighted to have been given the accolade of Dentist of the Year 2010 by the Academy. In 2012 Steve was awarded a Diploma in Restorative Dentistry.

Steve is also very keen on cosmetic orthodontic treatments, to help quickly and easily realign teeth to significantly improve smiles without the need for more destructive crown and veneer work – beautiful results can now be achieved just through a combination of realignment, whitening and sometimes bonding a little white filling to replace worn edges of teeth.

Steve was the first dentist in South Cheshire to provide the Inman Aligner.

Steve’s other dental activities have included being a Vocational Trainer to newly qualified dentists, President of the North Staffordshire Society of Dental Surgeons, leading Peer Review study groups for local dentists, and has been a member of the Local Dental Committee and an examiner for the National Examining Board for Dental Nurses.

Awards and Recognition

Over the years, we have been immensely proud that the outstanding qualities of our practice and they way we manage it, has been recognised by leading authorities in the dental industry.

This encourages us to strive to not only maintain our standards, but to improve them year on year.

We invest in our wonderful team to ensure they well trained and enjoy their work, as this is a fundamental benchmark to ensure our customers receive the best experience and dental care available.
2016
Best Practice UK 2016
Best Patient Care 2016
Best Practice North West 2016
Best Patient Care North West 2016
2015
Winners of Best Dental Team – North
Highly Commended in ‘Best Employer
Finalists in Best Dental Team
Finalists in Best Patient Care
Finalists in Best Employer
Finalists in Practice of the Year
2015
The Dental Awards
Winners of Hygienist of the Year
Finalist in Team of the Year
Finalist in Hygienist of the Year
The Dental Awards 2015
Highly Commended in Best Hygienist
Finalists in Best Hygienist
2014
Winners of Best Dental Team – North West
Winners of Most Outstanding Team Member – West
Winners of Most Outstanding Team Member – Overall
Finalists in Best Dental Team
Finalists in Best Patient Care
Finalists in Most Outstanding Team Member
Finalists in Practice Of The Year
2014
Highly Commended in Best Team Finalists in Best Dental Team Finalists in Best Patient Care Finalists in Best Team Member Finalists in Best Community Project Finalists in Best Employer Finalists in Practice of the Year
Additional Dentistry Awards
Tipton Training Course
Cosmetic and Restorative Course
Winner – Dr Steve Lomas – Dentist of the Year 2010
Winner – Dr Rich Willis – Dentist of the Year 2013
South Cheshire Chamber of Commerce Awards
Winner Excellence in Customer Service – Winner 2012

Cosmetic Dentistry

I am Dr. Dentist, my team and I are dedicated to undertaining cosmetic dentistry for you when it's purely the best option for your dental health.

There is ahuge range of treatments and prcedures that fall under the description of cosmetic dentistry. Yes, of course, the typical 'Hollywood Smile' is how many first think of. Whilst we can certainly amke those wonderful transformations for you, we also ensure that you never have more than you need and receive the very best care throughout.

Below are a few of the procedures we carry out on a daily basis. Hollywood, or not.

Dark discoloured teeth?

Tooth whitening is a simple procedure completed at home or in-surgery with excellent long term results which do not harm your teeth.

Discoloured Fillings

Fillings in back teeth can be made practically invisible with cosmetic fillings. Old metal fillings in back teeth can be replaced with white fillings or ceramic inlays.

Missing Teeth or Gaps

If you have missing teeth or unsightly gaps in your teeth these can be filled with cosmetic dentures, bridges or dental implants with natural looking results.

Misshapen Teeth

Can be straightened and whitened with cosmetic veneers, metal-free cosmetic crowns or invisible braces.

Old Discoloured Crowns

If you are concerned by the discolouration of your dental crowns then we can replace these with the latest metal-free eMax or Lava crowns.

False Looking Dentures

Old dentures that fit badly or look false can often be replaced with natural feeling, cosmetic dentures or possibly replaced completely with fixed bridgework.

We replace old or loose dentures with a bridge or metal based denture that is stronger, tighter, more comfortable. For the ultimate in stability we can provide implant retained dentures or bridgework.

Cosmetic Dentistry

I am Dr. Dentist, my team and I are dedicated to undertaining cosmetic dentistry for you when it's purely the best option for your dental health.

There is ahuge range of treatments and prcedures that fall under the description of cosmetic dentistry. Yes, of course, the typical 'Hollywood Smile' is how many first think of. Whilst we can certainly amke those wonderful transformations for you, we also ensure that you never have more than you need and receive the very best care throughout.

Below are a few of the procedures we carry out on a daily basis. Hollywood, or not.

Dark discoloured teeth?

Tooth whitening is a simple procedure completed at home or in-surgery with excellent long term results which do not harm your teeth.

Discoloured Fillings

Fillings in back teeth can be made practically invisible with cosmetic fillings. Old metal fillings in back teeth can be replaced with white fillings or ceramic inlays.

Missing Teeth or Gaps

If you have missing teeth or unsightly gaps in your teeth these can be filled with cosmetic dentures, bridges or dental implants with natural looking results.

Misshapen Teeth

Can be straightened and whitened with cosmetic veneers, metal-free cosmetic crowns or invisible braces.

Old Discoloured Crowns

If you are concerned by the discolouration of your dental crowns then we can replace these with the latest metal-free eMax or Lava crowns.

False Looking Dentures

Old dentures that fit badly or look false can often be replaced with natural feeling, cosmetic dentures or possibly replaced completely with fixed bridgework.
We replace old or loose dentures with a bridge or metal based denture that is stronger, tighter, more comfortable. For the ultimate in stability we can provide implant retained dentures or bridgework.
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