Patient Information policies

New Patient Acceptance Policy

We accept all fee-paying patients on a private basis.

The practice does not refuse to treat anyone on the grounds of:

• Race
• Religion
• Gender
• Sex
• Age
• Sexual orientation
• Appearance
• Disability
• Medical or Dental Condition

You will be advised which dentist you will be seeing when you book your first appointment.

In subsequent appointments, you will be offered the first available dentist unless you request a particular dentist, we will try our best to accommodate you.

Access & Emergency Treatment Policy

DICKENS YARD DENTAL is open to treat patients during the following hours :

Monday: 0900-1700
Tuesday: 0900-1700
Wednesday: 0900-1700
Thursday: 0900-1700
Friday: 0900-1700
Saturday: 0900-1500 (By appointment only)

Patients who feel they have a dental emergency will be assessed at the point of contact (either over the telephone or face-to-face at reception). The practice is under no obligation to see patients with a toothache. Toothache is not classified as an emergency (see below or emergency definitions).

At DICKENS YARD DENTAL we will endeavor to see patients with pain, swelling or trauma within 48 hours of initial contact, where possible. This applies to patients who attend examinations on a regular basis. If we are working at full capacity at any given time, we will manage the patient and refer them to another service if necessary.

Patients who are currently undergoing treatment and who have pain or swelling will be offered an appointment within 24 hours of initial contact.

During out-of-hours, there is an answer phone message advising patients of help available. Details of our out-of-hours arrangements will also be displayed at the entrance to the practice. This information will always be correct and up to date .

If you are a private patient and have a dental emergency out of hours, please email hello@dickensyarddental.com, where you will be contacted by an emergency dentist on call. Please note we cannot guarantee it will be your usual provider as emergency cover out of hours may be on a rota basis between other registered private practices within the local area.

Definition of emergency

Fractured jaws – affects speech, teeth may not meet properly, swelling inside mouth, limited mobility, pain etc. Most commonly happens after an accident, blow to the chin etc.

Uncontrolled Bleeding – Any bleeding that cannot be controlled by firm continuous pressure from a pack for 10 minutes may need suturing. Most commonly happens after extraction, due to infection or alcohol, aspirin, drugs etc.

Loss of consciousness – No matter how brief, anyone who was unresponsive may have suffered internal brain damage that could worsen if left without investigation. Most commonly happens after a blow to the head or accident.

Cancellations, Failed and Missed Appointments Policy

We aim to provide all of our patients with the best possible service and to achieve this we need your cooperation.

We understand that you may need to cancel or rearrange your dental appointments .

If a patient fails to attend a booked appointment we will send a letter or e-mail reminding them that in the future they must cancel appointments if they are unable to attend.

For appointments of less than 1 hour please let us know with 1 full working days’ notice if you need to move or change your appointment. This means that you must inform us by your appointment time on the previous working day (not including weekends and bank holidays) to allow us to re-allocate your appointment time to another patient.

For appointments over 1 hour, we require 2 working days’ notice. This means that you must inform us by your appointment time two working days previously e.g. Tuesday at 10am for a Thursday 10am appointment (not including weekends and bank holidays) to allow us to re-allocate your appointment time to another patient.

Regrettably, due to the increasing number of missed appointments, there will be a charge equivalent to 50% of your appointment fee should you fail to attend or cancel without the correct notice above. Subsequent missed appointments will be charged at 100% of the appointment fee. If you attend as a member, the cancellation fee is equivalent to 50% or 100% of the pay-as-you-go list price respectively.

An appointment is considered to have been broken if any of the following occur:

• the patient fails to show up for the appointment,
• the patient waits more than 5 minutes late or over 10% into the designated appointment time (whichever is the greater)
• the patient calls to cancel an appointment with too little advance notice as set out above

Cancellations due to illness

If you are showing symptoms of a stomach bug or a respiratory illness, including COVID, please let us know so we can rearrange your appointment for when you are feeling better. This also helps to keep our staff and other patients safe. The normal cancellation period will not apply in these circumstances for the first cancellation. Subsequent cancellations may be subject to a fee, entirely at our discretion, in line with our cancellation policy above.

Cold Sore Policy

Cold sores are common for many people in the UK. Like all viruses, they are contagious and pose a risk to others. The herpes simplex virus is spread through contact.

Cold sores usually emerge as a small ulcer-like patch on or surrounding the lip line, they can come up in a matter of hours and usually take between seven days and four weeks to heal, depending on the severity. From the time they begin to emerge to the point at which they are fully healed, they pose a contagion risk.

At DICKENS YARD DENTAL we ask patients that if they have had a cold sore for less than 2 weeks, please reschedule any non-emergency dental treatment or hygienist appointments until after this contagious period has passed. This is not only because of the high risk of spreading the virus but also because your lips may feel sore and could crack or bleed during treatment.

If urgent dental treatment is required (you are in pain and need immediate attention), our dentists will request that your cold sore be protected with a cold sore plaster to minimize the risk of cross-infection during emergency dental treatment.

If you do get a cold sore and you have a dental or hygienist appointment arranged, please call the practice with as much notice as possible, to reschedule any non-emergency treatment. You will not be charged a late cancellation fee if you cancel due to a cold sore.

Drugs and Alcohol Policy

The safety of our staff and patients is of utmost importance.

Treating patients who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol can be dangerous for several reasons including:

• difficulty in gaining informed consent
• the possibility that post-operative instructions will be forgotten
• increased bleeding risk

If we suspect a patient is chemically impaired, either through alcohol or drugs, including prescription drugs which may cause impairment, we will be unable to treat the patient and will ask to reschedule the appointment.

Patient Involvement Policy

We actively involve all our patients in every aspect of their dental care and as a practice, we aim to carry out the following;

• To ensure discussions take place in an environment where conversations are not overheard, and every effort is made to ensure the patient feels comfortable and relaxed.
• To identify whether communication aids are required, including the use of interpreters, to ensure that the patient fully understands explanations and discussions and can make informed choices.
• To identify patient treatment needs and treatment options, also identifying what they can do to manage their care.
• To discuss all care and treatment options, providing enough information on any risks involved and potential consequences of each option and, where possible, identifying relevant evidence, research, or experience.
• To record discussions in the patient’s notes identifying the treatment needs, options discussed and patient’s choice.
• To record the reason for and outcome of diagnostic tests and assessments are explained to the patient. These include, for example, radiographs, vitality tests, periodontal indices, and pathology tests.
• To ensure all staff at the practice understand the principles of patient confidentiality and routinely follow the practice procedure for ensuring confidentiality of patient information.

Code of Good Practice Policy

At DICKENS YARD DENTAL we listen to patients’ views and learn from them. We communicate with patients in a courteous, friendly, professional manner.

Patients are provided with the standard of care that we would expect to receive ourselves and we make sure that patients receive full information about our services, their treatment and its cost.

We may refer patients for further professional advice and treatment where appropriate and we are committed to ensuring that we keep our professional skills and knowledge up to date.

In our practice, we will:

• Respect our patients’ confidentiality
• Aim to ensure that patients should have to wait no longer than 20 minutes to be seen.
• Manage our appointment system so that treatment appointments are booked no more than 2 weeks ahead
• Deal with every telephone call promptly – callers will not be asked to ‘hold’ without first finding out why the call has been made
• Deal with correspondence within 3 working days of receipt, except between Christmas and New Year.
• Provide patients with a treatment plan and estimate of costs for each new course of treatment. Full and specific consent will be gained.
• Make patients aware of our policy for collecting fees.
• Make the practice policy for dealing with complaints known to patients. All complaints will be treated sympathetically and according to the agreed procedures.
• Provide the highest standards of infection control
• Provide any emergency treatment required during practice hours as soon as is reasonably practicable.

Payment & Charges Policy

It is the responsibility of this practice to give patients full information about the cost of their dental care before any treatment is undertaken.

A list of common treatment charges is available at reception and on our website for treatments that are provided privately.

We will ensure that all patients:

• Are advised of what they must pay, when they should pay and how they can pay (eg cash, card, direct transfer)
• Know what they will receive for their payment (ie what treatment or care)
• Understand their treatment is provided privately
• Are given a written estimate and treatment plan on request or where treatment involves more than routine preventive examination and hygiene care
• Understand their own responsibilities in terms of payment terms and how to avoid any penalty for overdue fees (missed appointment charges, late payment etc)
• Are not pressured into signing agreements or paying fees
• Obtain a receipt for any payments they make and can review their account details
• Can talk to a staff member who can explain clearly what payments are due and what they are for
• Can discuss with staff what treatment options and costs are available
• Are given an estimate where a precise cost cannot be determined in advance (eg laboratory work) and will receive timely advice of any additional costs where appropriate

We try to make payment as straightforward as possible.

Payment & Refund Policy

• Our appointments are pre-paid so that we can protect your time with our clinicians.
• Appointments with our hygienist, appointments over 1 hour and those on evenings and weekends are paid on booking.
• All other appointments that are not confirmed by pre-payment one week prior will be offered to other patients.

Payment Method

All major debit and credit cards are accepted.

Change of Details

You must inform the practice immediately of any changes to your contact details. Failure to do so will mean that we are not able to provide you with essential information and updates.

Cancellation of Courses of Treatment

If, for any reason, a course of treatment is cancelled by us, then we will make every reasonable effort to give the patient as much notice as possible. DICKENS YARD DENTAL’s maximum liability will be limited to a refund of the advance payment fee ONLY. Refunds will be made by the method in which the treatment booking was paid. We will not accept liability for any additional costs or losses incurred by a patient or organizations, which are claimed to have arisen through treatment cancellation. We reserve the right to vary arrangements for the delivery of a treatment plan and in such cases will make reasonable efforts to inform patients in advance.

Cancellation by the Patient

You may cancel a course of treatment for which you have booked an appointment and be fully refunded all fees for treatment not yet performed; provided you give the practice notice in line with our cancellation policy.

Before starting treatment, if prior notice is not received, we reserve the right to withhold a proportionate amount of money, based upon the length of the appointment, to cover overheads. This will be in line with our cancellation policy.

Once treatment has begun, we will refund money to patients who wish to discontinue treatment at any time. The exact refund amount will depend on the stage of treatment and an amount will be withheld to cover treatment provided and time booked which could not subsequently be used for other patients.

If a patient is unable to proceed with treatment, or decides to discontinue treatment mid-appointment, or does not allow treatment to proceed due to change of mind, excessive or unreasonable questioning/requests leading to loss of time, we reserve the right to charge for that appointment in full to cover our time booked which could not subsequently be used for other patients.

If a patient is unable to proceed with treatment due to a clinical situation such as anxiety, insufficient local anaesthesia, inability to cope with reasonable treatment requirements such as rubber dam or maintaining an open / steady mouth which would lead to loss of time, we reserve the right to charge for the aborted appointment in full to cover our time booked which could not subsequently be used for other patients. Subsequent treatment fees may also be revised to allow for extra time to complete treatment in a safe and comfortable manner.

If a patient is receiving any treatment that involves laboratory work (Orthodontics, Implants, veneers/crowns/bridges or a denture made) and initial work has been carried out a fee will be charged to cover the cost of services rendered. The precise fee will depend on the stage of cancellation and the cancellation fee may be 100% of the treatment fee.

Refunds will be processed either as a credit your DYD account or a refund back to your original method of payment.  The patient MUST bring the same payment card to comply with money laundering regulations. If you used Apple/Google Pay we will need to see the matching virtual card number on your phone. If we are unable to verify the original payment details, refunds will be processed as a credit to the patient’s DYD account.

Bad Debt Policy

This practice maintains a strict payment policy where all payments for dental treatment should be paid in full prior to the completion of treatment.

If, for whatever reason, the fees are not paid, the practice will inform the patient via a text message/letter or email that there is money outstanding on their account and to refer to our payment policy.

A second text message, letter or email will then be sent requesting immediate payment if payment is not paid within a seven-day period. If there has been no contact or payment within the next seven-day period then a third text message will be sent warning of losing the right to be seen at the practice with immediate effect.

If payment is not made within a further 24 hours, we will use a debt recovery company to recover the outstanding debt.

Zero Tolerance Policy

Staff treating patients have the right to work free from any threat or fear of abuse, violence or forms of aggression.

Unacceptable behaviour which will not be tolerated within the dental practice includes:

• Actual or threatened physical violence on staff or other patients.
• Psychological abuse of staff
• Verbal abuse, which includes shouting or swearing
• Racial abuse
• Sexual harassment or abuse
• Threats against personal practice which occur in the workplace
• Theft or damage of practice property
• Taking drugs or alcohol on the premises

If any patient is abusive or violent towards any member of staff or any other persons on the practice premises, the practice retains the right to dismiss a patient. In appropriate cases, the police will also be contacted.

Quality Assurance Statement

Our dental practice shall establish and operate a practice-based quality assurance system that is applicable to any dental practitioner or person employed/engaged by the contractor who performs services under the dental contract.

We shall ensure that with respect to its practice-based quality assurance system, it has nominated a person to be responsible for operating that system and will ensure:

• effective measures of infection control are used.
• all legal requirements relating to health and safety in the workplace are satisfied.
• all legal requirements relating to radiological protection are satisfied.
• any requirements of the General Dental Council in respect of the continuing professional development of dental practitioners are satisfied; and
• The requirement to display a written statement relating to the quality assurance system in a prominent position.

Our practice aims to provide dental care of a consistent quality for all our patients.  We will have management systems to help us, and which define each practice member’s responsibilities when looking after patients.

In proposing treatment, we will consider patients own wishes.  We will explain options, where appropriate, and costs so that patients can make an informed choice.  We will always explain what we are doing. We will do all we can to look after dental health.

We will ask you about the patient’s general health and any medicines being taken.  This helps us treat patients safely. We will keep all information about patients confidential.

Contamination control is also essential to the safety of our patients.  Every practice member receives training in practice systems for contamination control. All staff joining the practice are given training in practice-wide procedures.  Once a year, there is an individual review of training needs for everyone in the practice.

We ask and advise patients about tobacco and alcohol use because they increase risks to dental intervention and oral cancer risk.

Practice working methods are reviewed regularly at meetings.  We encourage all staff to make suggestions for improving patient care. We regularly ask patients for their views on our services, and we have systems for dealing promptly with patient complaints and for ensuring that lessons are learned from any mistakes we make.

All dental professionals in the practice take part in continuing professional development, meeting GDC requirements.  We aim to keep up to date with current thinking on all aspects of general dentistry, including preventative care, which reduces a patient’s need for treatment.

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.

Accessible Information Standards Policy

Overview

All practices that provide NHS or adult social care must follow the Accessible Information Standard by law. Private Dental Practices are not mandated to follow the Accessible Information standards but are recommended to do so. Thus DYD aims to follow the Accessible Information standards.

We have a legal and moral responsibility under the Equality Act 2010 to provide any of its documents, leaflets, electronic resources etc. in an alternative format if requested. Currently, we try to ensure our materials are written in ‘plain English’, but there is more we can do to ensure our approach is equitable and our materials are accessible to all.

The Accessible Information Standard, defines a consistent approach to identifying and meeting the information and communication support needs of patients, service users and carers where those needs relate to a disability, impairment or sensory loss. This includes (but is not limited to) people who are blind, Deaf, deafblind and/or who have a learning disability, aphasia, autism or a mental health condition which affects their ability to communicate.

The importance of access to advice and information is one of the fundamental components of the Care Act 2014. It is also in line with the CQC’s commitment to ensuring high-quality care for people who use health and social care services.

There are five key things we must do to meet the standard:

1. Identification of needs

A consistent approach to the identification of patients’, service users’, carers’ and parents’ information and communication needs, where they relate to a disability, impairment or sensory loss.

2. Recording of needs

A consistent and routine recording of patients’, service users’, carers’ and parents’ information and communication needs, where they relate to a disability, impairment or sensory loss, as part of patient/service user records and clinical management/patient administration systems;

3. Flagging of needs

Establishment and use of electronic flags or alerts, or paper-based equivalents, to indicate that an individual has a recorded information and/or communication need, and prompt staff to take appropriate action and/or trigger auto-generation of information in an accessible format / other actions such that those needs can be met.

4. Sharing of needs

Inclusion of recorded data about individuals’ information and/or communication support needs as part of existing data-sharing processes and as a routine part of referral, discharge and handover processes.

5. Meeting of needs

Taking steps to ensure that the individual receives information in an accessible format and any communication support which they need.

The Standard does not cover personal preferences or foreign language support needs.

What we do to work towards this standard?

We aim to make sure that people who have a disability, impairment or sensory loss get information that they can access and understand, and any communication support that they need.

This includes making sure that people get information in different formats if they need it, for example in large print, braille, easy read or via email.

It also includes appropriate support to help individuals communicate, for example, support from a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter, deafblind manual interpreter or an advocate.

Some basic advice we follow:

• Slow down when talking to people with a communication problem. It might seem obvious but if you are nervous about how to deal with people it is easy to find yourself speeding up and using jargon.
• Position yourself so that you are facing the person they will then be more able to understand the context of what you are saying and that you see straight away from their facial expression if you are confusing them.
• Think about using gestures when you speak. It might not be recognised sign language but lots of people can understand better if speech is accompanied by some facial or hand movements. Think thumbs up for good and thumbs down for not so good.
• Have pen and paper available. The person may not read or write but, just like using gestures above, a drawing of a stick man or timescale can put a conversation into perspective for some people.

Guide Dogs/Hearing Dogs

It is unlawful for service providers to treat disabled people less favourably for a reason related to their disability, and “reasonable adjustments” for disabled people, such as providing extra help or making changes to the way they provide their services are now required, and this includes adjustments to physical features of premises to overcome physical barriers to disabled access.

The nature of general practice is such that guide dog/hearing dog (“assistance” dog) access is common and desirable. The purpose of this policy is to set out a few simple principles for dogs on the premises. It is not intended to cover the use of assistance dogs in relation to employees of the practice, which would encompass a wider range of disability employment law considerations.

General Considerations

• The practice welcomes assistance dogs
• The practice will manage the presence of assistance dogs without recourse to the owner and will pay particular attention to infection control and housekeeping whilst dogs are on the premises
• Physical contact with a dog by clinical staff will be resisted during consultations or examinations, and whilst general surgery is in progress
• Hand washing or alcohol hand gel will be used by staff after any physical contact with a dog, whether during a consultation or not
• Care will be taken by clinical staff to identify other patients in the surgery list for that session who have been identified as potentially being adverse clinically to the presence of dogs. This will include patients who are:
  • allergic to dogs
  • immunosuppressant
  • phobic to dogs
  • or have another medical reason and consideration will be given to allowing them to wait or be seen in an alternative room.
• Cleaning staff will be advised to pay particular attention to a room known to have accommodated a dog that day
• In the event of an incident involving a dog, a significant event record will be created.
• Owners of assistance dogs will be given the opportunity to “tour” the Practice and the grounds with their assistance dog to enable the dog to become familiar with routes throughout the building, including those routes seldom used. This will include routes to and from:
  • Public/disabled toilets
  • Through fire exits and on to assembly areas
  • To usual consulting/treatment rooms
  • Access and egress to the building by normal routes and will be given the opportunity for “refresher” practice on a regular basis.

As part of the high level of training an assistance dog receives there are unlikely to be any incidents giving rise to special concern, and the following aspects of these dogs on the premises are likely to be standard behaviour for these animals:

• Dog will remain on a lead in close contact with the owner
• The dog will usually lie quietly with the owner when waiting to see a clinician and is trained to behave well in public places
• Dog is unlikely to foul any area not within its usual habit and are trained to go to the toilet on command, and will be well-groomed (minimal loose hair)
• The dog will be in good health, physically fit, with vaccinations and care programme up to date
• The dog will wear a special identifying harness and collar tag

Interpreting Service

Language assistance will be provided through the use of competent bilingual staff, staff interpreters, contracts or formal arrangements with local organizations providing interpretation or translation services, or technology and telephonic interpretation services. All staff will be provided notice of this policy and procedure, and staff that may have direct contact with patients with limited English individuals will be trained in effective communication techniques, including the effective use of an interpreter.

Staff will promptly identify the language and communication needs of the patients. In addition, when records are kept of past interactions with patients or family members, the language used to communicate with the person will be included as part of the record.

Some patients may prefer or request to use a family member or friend as an interpreter. However, family members or friends of the patient will not be used as interpreters unless specifically requested by that individual and after the patient has understood that an offer of an interpreter at no charge to the patient has been made by the practice. Such an offer and the response will be documented in the patient’s file. If the patient chooses to use a family member or friend as an interpreter, issues of competency of interpretation, confidentiality, privacy, and conflict of interest will be considered. If the family member or friend is not competent or appropriate for any of these reasons, competent interpreter services will be provided to the patient.

Children and other patients will not be used to interpret, to ensure the confidentiality of information and accurate communication.

Complaints Procedure

We try to ensure that all of our patients are pleased with their experience of our services. We welcome feedback from patients and take any complaints seriously. We aim to deal with any complaints courteously and efficiently so that they can be resolved as quickly as possible.

Our complaints procedure outlines how we will deal with any complaints.

The person responsible for dealing with any complaints in the practice is Sahil Thakkar

Complaints Made Verbally

If you wish to make a complaint over the phone or in person, we will listen to your complaint and offer to refer you to the complaints lead. If they are unavailable, the staff member will take your details and a brief explanation of the complaint to pass on. Your complaint will be acknowledged within 3 working days.

Complaints Made via Email or Letter

Any letters or emails regarding a complaint will be immediately passed to the complaints lead. Your complaint will be acknowledged within 3 working days.

Investigation

We will contact you to discuss your complaint unless it can be resolved easily. Any complaints involving clinical care will be referred to the treating dentist unless you request this not to happen.

We will then investigate your complaint and will aim to have a response for you within 10 working days. If it is not possible to resolve this within that timeframe, we will inform you and let you know when it is likely to be resolved.

It is possible that if a complaint regards clinical care or is complex, we may need to seek advice from our insurers, indemnifiers or legal advisors and, therefore, may need to share some of your information for this purpose.

Once we have made a decision regarding your complaint we will inform you by your preferred contact method.

We shall then be in a position to offer you an explanation, or a meeting with the people involved. When we investigate your complaint, we shall aim to:

• Find out what happened and what went wrong
• Make it possible for you to discuss the problem with those concerned, if you would like this
• Make sure you receive an apology where this is appropriate
• Identify what we can do to make sure the problem doesn’t happen again

Complaining on Behalf of Someone Else

Please note that we keep strictly to the rules of clinical confidentiality. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we must know that you have their permission to do so. A note signed by the person concerned will be needed, unless they are incapable (because of physical and mental illness) of providing this.

Complaints to External Bodies

We hope that, if you have a problem, you will make use of our practice complaints procedure.  We believe this will provide the best chance of putting right whatever has gone wrong and an opportunity to improve our practice.  However, this does not affect your right to complain to an independent body, if you feel you cannot raise your complaint with us or you are dissatisfied with the result of our investigation.

The CQC: The CQC don’t get directly involved with complaints made to the practice. They do, however, encourage giving feedback to service providers.

To send feedback to the CQC please go to: https://www.cqc.org.uk/give-feedback-on-care

Telephone: 03000 616161 (Mon to Fri, 8.30am – 5.30pm Excluding Bank Holidays)

You can also contact the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman if you are unhappy with how the practice, or ICB, has dealt with your complaint.
Telephone: 0345 015 4033

Website: https://www.ombudsman.org.uk

Private: Dental Complaints Service
Telephone: 0208 253 0800 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm)

Website: https://dcs.gdc-uk.org/

GDC
Telephone: 0854 222 4141 or 0207 887 3800
Website: https://contactus.gdc-uk.org/Complaint/Process/13

General Dental Council Standards

As dental professionals, we must be registered with the General Dental Council and meet their standards. There are nine principles that we must follow:

1: Put patients’ interests first

2: Communicate effectively with patients

3: Obtain valid consent

4: Maintain and protect patients’ information

5: Have a clear and effective complaints procedure

6: Work with colleagues in a way that is in patients’ best interests

7: Maintain, develop and work within your professional knowledge and skills

8: Raise concerns if patients are at risk

9: Make sure your personal behaviour maintains patients’ confidence in you and the dental profession