The DDU has launched a comprehensive online course on complaints, available exclusively for members.

It's a fact of life for dental professionals that complaints are unavoidable in every dental practice. No-one likes to hear that a patient is unhappy, but a complaint doesn't have to be seen in a purely negative light. It can also be a golden opportunity to show your practice at its best, as well as to uncover issues that need to be addressed.

Remember, complaints could be made to anyone in the dental team, from the receptionist to the owner, so it's important everyone feels confident dealing with complaints effectively.

That's why the DDU has developed a new, comprehensive e-learning course, covering all aspects of complaints from start to finish – spotting them before they surface, handling them appropriately and professionally when they do, resolving them to the satisfaction of all involved, and learning lessons that can be applied in future.

Worth two hours of verifiable CPD and available exclusively for members, this course gives the whole practice team the opportunity to gain the confidence to respond promptly and professionally when a complaint arises.

Take the course online now

The course is made up of five modules:

  1. Warning signs
  2. Principles and procedures
  3. Resolving a complaint
  4. Learning from complaints
  5. Assessment

Learning objectives:

  • To have an understanding of how and why complaints arise.
  • To offer a comprehensive guide to processes and procedures.
  • To give an understanding of the issues that can arise if a complaint is not managed appropriately.
  • To appreciate how to respond constructively to a complaint to try and avoid it escalating.
  • To learn how to avoid similar complaints occurring and learn from the experience
  • To recognise potential complaints and know how to help prevent them escalating.

Access the course

This page was correct at publication on 13/11/2019. Any guidance is intended as general guidance for members only. If you are a member and need specific advice relating to your own circumstances, please contact one of our advisers.