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Beginner's guide to complaints

BDJ Student volume 28, page 23 (2021)Cite this article

By Ismaeel Rafiq and Jerry Cheung

In one year, around 15,000 written complaints are filed in the NHS against dental care professionals (DCP).1 That's more than 1 complaint for every 5 DCP's employed.2 As young dentists, many of us are unfamiliar with the skills needed to handle complaints made against us. Unless you have a prior history of working with the public, dental school is likely to expose the difficulties associated with an unsatisfied patient.

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References

  1. National Health Service. Data on Written Complaints in the NHS - 2018-2019. Online information available at https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/data-on-written-complaints-in-the-nhs/2018-19-ns (accessed May 2020).

  2. The Dental Workforce Advisory Group. Future Oral and Dental Workforce for England. Online information available at https://www.hee.nhs.uk/our-work/advancing-dental-care/future-oral-dental-workforce-england (accessed May 2020).

  3. Collins. Dictionary. 2020, Online information available at https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/complaint (Accessed May 2020).

  4. General Dental Council. Standards. 2013. Online information available at https://standards.gdc-uk.org/Assets/pdf/Standards%20for%20the%20Dental%20Team.pdf (accessed May 2020).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Leeds, Leeds, UK

    Ismaeel Rafiq & Jerry Cheung

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  1. Ismaeel Rafiq
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  2. Jerry Cheung
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Correspondence to Ismaeel Rafiq.

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Rafiq, I., Cheung, J. Beginner's guide to complaints. BDJ Student 28, 23 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41406-020-0176-0

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