Our Commitment to providing patient care
Our Commitments to you: -
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Here at Star Dental Care we aim to provide dental care of a consistent high quality, for all patients.
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We will take into account your preferences when proposing your treatment.
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We will explain options, where appropriate, and costs, so that you can make an informed choice.
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We will always explain exactly what we are doing to you and answer any questions you have to ensure you fully understand the procedure and your options.
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We screen all patients for mouth cancer at routine checkups.
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We ask patients about tobacco and alcohol use because they increase your oral cancer risk.
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We will do our upmost to ensure your general health is taken care of.
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We will ask you about your general health, and about any medicines being taken so please remember to keep us updated each time you attend the practice. This helps us to treat you safely.
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We keep all information about you confidential. Star Dental Care is committed fully to compliance with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998
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We encourage all staff to make suggestions for improving the care we give patients.
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We regularly ask patients for their views on our services and the practice, we may occasionally ask you to fill in Questionnaires or leave suggestions/testimonials at reception.
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We have systems in place for dealing promptly with patient complaints and ensuring any mistakes we make arent made again.
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All Staff including Dentists within our practice partake in continuing professional education, meeting the General Dental Council’s requirements.
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All staff joining the practice are given training in the practices procedures and are fully up to date on practice policies.
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All members of the practice know of the need to ensure that dentists are working safely. In the unlikely event that a dentist in this practice becomes unfit to practice, we have systems to ensure that concerns are investigated and, if necessary, acted upon.
As we provide this commitment to you we would like you in return to:
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Participate in your dental treatment, particularly any advice about prevention and diet or upkeeping oral hygiene that we have asked you to continue at home.
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Arrive on time for your appointment. Please give the practice at least 24 hours notice if you are unable to attend your appointment. If you miss an appointment on more than one occasion without letting us know, we may need to review future provision of treatment for you at the practice.
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Treat our staff courteously; they will do their best to help you, meet all your needs and to make your visit to Star Dental as pleasant as we can.
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We hold a zero tolerance approach to violent or aggressive incidents involving threatening, insulting or abusive words or to behaviour that could lead to violence, or cause harassment, alarm or distress. All patients who exhibit such behaviour will be reviewed and, if necessary, removed from our lists.
The Code of Good Practice
In our practice we will:
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Ensure we uphold our patients trust in us.
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Listen & learn from our patients’ views.
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Always Look out for our patients best interests.
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Communicate with patients in a courteous, friendly, professional manner.
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Provide patients with the standard of care that we would expect to receive ourselves.
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Ensure patients receive all information about services, their treatment their options & its cost.
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Have a system in place for out of hours and emergency care.
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Refer patients for further professional advice and treatment where appropriate.
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Are committed to ensuring that we keep our professional skills and knowledge up-to-date.
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At all times respect our patients’ confidentiality. Star Dental Care is committed fully to compliance with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998.
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Manage our appointments system so that treatment appointments are booked no more than 6 weeks ahead.
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Deal with every telephone call promptly and efficiently.
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Deal with correspondence within five days of receipt.
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Provide patients with a treatment plan and estimate of costs for each new course of treatment.
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No treatment will be undertaken without the patient’s full and specific consent.
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Requests for payment will always be made politely.
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Ensure the practice policy for dealing with complaints is known to patients; all complaints will be treated sympathetically and according to the agreed procedures. Star Dental Care is committed to providing a high quality, patient-focused service.
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Provide any emergency treatment required during practice hours as soon as is reasonably practicable.
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Always provide the alternative emergeny contact details for out of hours services.
Health and safety
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We provide the highest standards of infection control are constantly updating in all areas of continued development including Basic Life Support training including use of a defibrilator.
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Our team regularly attends training courses to ensure your Health and Safety in all instances.
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We take all necessary precautions to safeguard both patients and staff against all infections.
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We follow all recommended guidelines with regard to the sterilisation of instruments and the use of disposable items.
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Contamination control is also essential to the safety of our patients.
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Every practice member receives training in practice policy and procedures for contamination control.
Complaints Procedure
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Star Dental Care operates a practice based complaints system that suits the practice and meets the nationally agreed criteria for practice complaints systems.
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Here at Star Dental care we all believe in a good system for resloving complaints means happier patients and team.
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Every member of the practice is trained in the complaints procedure and needs to fully understand it.
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Comments and suggestions are very valuable to us as we feel our patients often have good ideas about improving facilities and complaints within the practice.
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Complaints must be recieved in written form.
The objectives of the practice system are to:
Enable patients to express comments, suggestions and complaints to the practice when they feel dissatisfied with the service provided:
We must provide patients with an explanation as to what has happened during the complaints procedure, keep them updated and the final outcome to resolve the complaint. We also look at how we can change things if needed to prevent further dissatisfaction.
Contact with people who make a complaint:
Zoe Burns our Principal Dentist is the Adminstrator in charge of dealing with all complaints, although Zoe is the administrator any member within our practice is fully trained in the complaints procedure and can deal with an incoming complaint. If the practice is unable to resolve a complaint in house, the patient can be referred to the British Dental Health Foundation’s Word of Mouth Advice Line on 0870 333 1188.
GDC Contact Details
37 Wimpole Street
London
W1G 8DQ
+44 (0)20 7167 6000
The GDC opening times are 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday, except bank holidays.