Practice Information:

Opening times:

Monday to Friday 9.00 am to 5.00 pm (closed for lunch 1.00pm till 2.00pm)

Treatment plan:
During your routine examination a treatment plan if applicable will be discussed with you in detail and a completed plan will be drawn up for you to sign and agree. If this plan changes due to radiographic or clinical findings, we will inform you and discuss this with you. Treatment plans are valid for 90 days from examination.

Consent forms:
In certain circumstances we may need to refer you to another specialised unit i.e. Leighton Hospital, this will require completion of a consent form. We will explain the treatment and any risk to you thoroughly prior to asking you to sign the form. Referral cannot proceed without the signed form.

Payment:
Middlewich Street Dental Practice does not operate an account system and we require fees to be settled at the appointment where treatment is provided. Payment can be made by cash, debit/credit card, we do not accept cheques.

Emergency appointments:
We request that, should you need to see a dentist urgently, you contact the practice as early as possible. Our phones are answered from 9.00 am. If an emergency appointment is made and you fail to attend, then we will remove you immediately from our patient listing.

Late cancellation or missed appointments:
We appreciate that you have busy lives which may mean that you are not always able to attend a previously scheduled appointment. Please contact us and we will endeavour to rearrange to your convenience. However, please do appreciate that failure to attend an appointment or inadequate notice of cancellation (less than 24 hours) puts great pressure on our practice and we therefore reserve the right to review your file and remove you from our patient listing.

Missed treatment appointments puts great financial burdens on the NHS, therefore our Practice policy is that if you miss your treatment appointment we will write to you giving you seven days in which to respond to make a further appointment. If you fail the further appointment or a non response is received from our letter, then will have no alternative but to presume that you no longer wish to complete your treatment and you will be removed from our patient listing.
We try where possible using our texting service and letters/Cards to remind you of your appointment, but this is a courtesy service, and not our responsibility to remind you.

Personal Details:
It is very important that you give a full medical history and details of any medication you take. Should these change in any way it is important you tell the dentist and give current information as this may affect the recommended treatment. Failure to provide any of this information could be dangerous to your health. Middlewich Street Dental Practice Ltd cannot be held responsible for anything resulting from the failure to provide a full and accurate medical history.

Data Protection Act:
We store all patient personal details in accordance with the Data Protection Act. All clinical notes, radiographs, photographs etc remain the property of Middlewich Street Dental Practice Ltd. Copies of notes, radiographs and photographs can be made available on request. The Practice reserves the right to make an administration charge for any copying.

Complaints Procedure:
We want to hear from you so that we can put things right as quickly as possible.

How to complain
If you have previously spoken to us and remain dissatisfied with how we have answered your question or helped you with your problem, then we need you to tell us about it in writing.

Please send us your complaint by letter to:
The Director
Middlewich Street Dental Practice Ltd
50-52 Middlewich Street
Crewe
CW1 4DA

To help us to investigate your complaint quickly, please include:

• Your full name
• Your date of birth
• Your full address
• Your daytime telephone number
• Full details of your complaint, including the name of the person whom you spoke to first.

How we will respond to your complaint:
We aim to resolve your complaint as soon as possible. Some issues may be complex and require investigation and this may take some time. We will contact you by letter or e-mail within 3 working days to confirm that we have received your complaint and aim to provide a full response within 10 days. If this is not possible, we will always keep you informed by letter or email.

What we will do if your complaint is upheld:
If your complaint is upheld, then we will offer an explanation and an apology. If it is appropriate, then we will take any actions needed to solve the problem properly.

What can I do if I not satisfied with the final outcome:
In the unlikely event that we are unable to gain a satisfactory conclusion to your complaint.

NHS Patients:
You should contact the Primary Care Trust in writing explaining why you do not agree with our findings, to the address below:

Central and Eastern Cheshire Primary Care Trust
Universal House
ERF Way (Off Pochin Way)
Middlewich
Cheshire
CW10 0QJ

and www.dentalcomplaints.org.uk for private patients.

Dated: 12th March 2013

Dr John Perkin

Alistair

Helen

Sharon

Claire

Dental Surgeon/Director

Director

Dental Nurse/Receptionist

Dental Nurse/Receptionist

Dental Therapist/Nurse