Practising By The Book: by Chloe Booth Administrative Director - Total Dental in Windermere

The amount of complaints lodged by patients left unsatisfied with the healthcare service they received, has risen in recent years. For example, the GMC saw a 23 % increase in the number of complaints in 2011[i], and NHS Scotland has seen a rise of 13%[ii].

The dental industry is no different, and the Dental Complaints Service (DCS) in fact received 1887 complaints between May 2011 and April 2012 – resulting in an increase of 17 % since the previous year[iii]. Throughout 2012, 2278 complaints were received by the GDC with regards to professionals’ Fitness to Practise, which was a massive 44% increase from the year before[iv]. Approximately half of these cases went on to be investigated, with issues centring around ‘poor treatment’, ‘fraud and dishonesty, and ‘poor practice management’ [v].

While constant fluctuations are to be expected in such figures, this is a significant and quite worrying rise that may have an impact on the modern dental profession. Should these figures continue to increase at the same pace, practitioners may not only be tempted to practise elsewhere but potential students may also be put off a career in dentistry, in turn affecting the dental care available to the public.

There is no solid evidence to show the reasons behind this rise in complaints, but improved public awareness and accessibility to information will have played a huge role. Patient expectations are much higher than they once were, and without proper management of these expectations, modern society has developed somewhat of a ‘complaints culture’.

Until we understand more about the upwards trend in dental complaints however, it seems the best method of protecting yourself as a dental professional or as a whole practice, is to ensure all regulations are meticulously met.

As the GDC’s remit is ‘Protecting Patients and Regulating the Dental Team’, it would seem that robust contemporaneous note taking is absolutely paramount to make a water-tight defence in case of a negligence claim. And this means that you need an effective and convenient way of updating patient data and more specifically, documenting patient consent.

Technologies such as SafeSeen Touch are designed specifically for this reason, with protocols and treatment details already stored to aid patient communication. The tablet is compact and easily portable so it can be used throughout the practice for maximum accessibility. The device can also be used to record daily practice processes to demonstrate compliance to all CQC and GDC regulations.

Working as a modern dentist or dental care professional requires more than just good clinical skills. It is important that you and your whole team appreciate the importance of demonstrating your fitness to practise, as this can prove invaluable in the unfortunate event of a patient claim. This protection can only be achieved by following strict protocols and keeping fastidious records.

For more information, please visit www.safeseentouch.co.uk, or contact Chloe Booth on 07825 201657 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.