How to complain about your NHS dentist
NHS dental care offers treatments and services considered clinically necessary for your oral health. This includes check-ups, emergency appointments, X-rays and extractions, fillings, crowns and dentures.
Firstly, speak to a member of staff involved with the care
It is best to first speak with a member of staff involved with the care.
This means that concerns you have may be sorted quickly and easily.
If you find that staff cannot help you, or you are not comfortable speaking with them you may want to make a formal complaint. You can make a formal complaint with either your dental surgery or the Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board (ICB), which is responsible for paying for the dental care you receive.
Follow your dental surgery's complaints procedure
Each dental surgery will have their own complaints procedure. To find out how to complain at your dental surgery please ask at reception.
Contact Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board (ICB)
The Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board (ICB) is responsible for paying for the dental service and care you receive. You can contact the ICB by:
Phone – 01603 595857 (this is an answerphone so please leave a message requesting a callback)
Emailing – [email protected] Please state in the subject line which dental service you are complaining about.
Writing – Complaints Manager, NHS Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board, County Hall, Martineau Lane, Norwich, NR1 2DL
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman are the final stage of unresolved complaints in the NHS. Only contact them once you have received your final response to your formal complaint.
You can contact them by:
Phone – 0345 015 4033
Online – Visiting their website here
Please note: as of September 2022 the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman have changed the way they handle complaints about the NHS. In most cases they will now only look into more serious cases. To find out more about this please visit their website: www.ombudsman.org.uk/service-update.
