Information for Patients

Sutton Park Dental Centre provides both Private treatment and a fixed, limited quantity of NHS treatment each year. 

Though NHS patients are not ‘registered’ with a dental practice, we will endeavour to accommodate you, subject to the overall quantity of treatment that NHS England has agreed that we supply, should you opt for NHS treatment. 

In a situation where ‘demand’ for NHS treatment exceeds ‘supply’, appointments will be allocated in a fair, equitable way. In this instance, the booking of NHS appointments, both for routine and emergency treatment, is on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. Should we also have additional spaces, we may offer these appointments on a Private basis. 

Please ask at reception for further clarification of your options for services, whether on an NHS or Private basis.

Patient confidentiality is of paramount importance All patient information is treated in the strictest of confidence, in accordance with the Data Protection Act and Caldicott Recommendations.  Should you wish to view our Confidentiality Policy or your personal dental records, please contact our Practice Manager, Damien John.  We may need to pass on certain information to other health care bodies (e.g. hospitals and other health care professionals) in order to facilitate patient care. We ask for your permission before doing so, your patient rights always being maintained. Our clinical staff have access to patient details only on a ‘need-to-know’ basis, using password-protected software. Mr. John assumes overall responsibility for confidentiality and security issues, ensuring that a disclosure procedure is adhered to by all authorised ‘users’. 

MISSED & LATE-CANCELLED APPOINTMENTS

Lost appointment time makes us work less efficiently for you. As patients are seen ‘by appointment only’, we request that you provide at least 24 hours’ notice (one full working day) should you need to cancel or rearrange your appointment. This allows us the opportunity to allocate your appointment time to another patient.

Missed & late-cancelled NHS appointments

If you fail to attend your NHS appointment, your course of treatment may be considered incomplete. A new course of treatment may be prescribed, at additional cost to you. If you miss two NHS appointments, or cancel twice, giving us less than 24 hours’ (one full working day) notice, it is unlikely that we will complete your treatment, or offer you dental care in the future.

Missed & late-cancelled Private appointments

We reserve the right to charge for all missed or late-cancelled Private appointments. The deposit required (£1 per minute of treatment time) to initially secure an appointment is non-returnable,  and is used to cover this or a proportion of this charge. (e.g. a 30-minute appointment missed = a £30 charge)

As a patient of SPDC, you will be receiving Private treatment, or NHS treatment (in accordance with our agreement with NHS England). We will carry out the treatment necessary to make you dentally fit.· You will be provided with a treatment plan and an estimate where appropriate. You are entitled to urgent treatment during our allocated hours of opening.· You will be treated with care, honesty and courtesy. We expect similar from you, and for you to make payments for services as and when requested.  We do not tolerate abusive, violent or offensive behaviour from any patient, either remotely or in person. Those behaving in such a way will need to find an alternative dental care provider.  NHS England will be duly notified of our decision.

Treatment is provided within a quality-assured system that includes infection control, health and safety in the workplace, radiological protection and CPD (continuing professional development). Appropriate steps are taken to protect both patients and staff whilst at Sutton Park Dental Centre.

Should you find that you have an NHS dental emergency you should contact us as soon as possible. We allocate surgery time for emergencies on a “first come, first served” basis. If the emergency occurs when the practice is closed, you should 

 NHS treatment

NHS patients are required to pay for treatment. If you are an ‘exempt’ NHS patient, you must provide proof of exemption to secure an appointment, as this is your ‘method of payment’. 

An estimate will be provided for all treatment.

Private treatment

Private charges are set by us to reflect the choice of materials and the quality of treatment provided. Charges will be itemised, with estimates provided for all treatment. 

Private treatment is on a 'pay-as-you-go' basis, payments being made at each appointment. To secure your booking, we take a deposit  that reflects the length of treatment.

e.g. 30 mins treatment= £30 deposit.

If you are unable to pay when a payment for treatment received is requested, we are unlikely to treat you; this may also result in additional charges. Charges incurred (for returned cheques or late payments of accounts) are payable by the patient. Failure to make payment within 28 days of the due date may result in the matter being referred to Debt Collection Agents, whose charges will be added to and payable with the invoice debt. We reserve the right to charge interest on late payments. Any additional costs, incurred through late payment, will be passed on to you. Payment can be made by cash, cheque, debit card or banker's draft.

We offer generous car parking facilities, signposted and to the rear of the practice, on Spring Grove Road, for your convenience, as well as a designated space on the forecourt for disabled parking. Should you choose to park on a road, please recognise that this is a residential area, and show the due consideration and courtesy to our neighbours that they deserve. Ensure that you neither obstruct access to their properties, nor allow your parking to cause visual disturbance or danger. The Police do patrol the area and do issue penalties. We appreciate your cooperation in this matter. The Practice accepts no responsibility for vehicles on practice premises, which are parked at their owners’ risk. 

 Sutton Park Dental Centre offers exceptional, spacious access for all patients to all ground-floor surgeries and facilities, with a gentle entrance ramp, wide walkways and doors throughout. 

Our toilet/w.c. will suit most patients, offering grab-rails positioned to assist mobility, and incorporating our baby-changing facilities. 

Please ‘telephone ahead’ if further assistance is needed when you visit.

We welcome any comments or suggestions that you may have regarding the Practice, our service and the care you receive. 

Our Patient Care Lead, Katie Kartal, deals with any concerns you may have. 

You may choose to make a complaint orally, in writing or electronically within 12 months of  occurring complaint. 

Acknowledging a complaint within 3 working days, we then arrange a mutually convenient time for further discussion. 

We will explain how the complaint will be handled, and the likely time-frame for investigation, leading to our response to you in conclusion.

If you choose not to discuss the matter, we will send you written details, keeping you informed, as far as is possible, of the progress of the investigation. We keep a record of all oral and written complaints, and will provide a copy on your request. 

We would prefer to find a swift resolution. 

The organisations that may assist you with your NHS complaints, or offer in-depth advice e.g. for private treatment, are -

NHS England  tel: 0300 311 22 33

Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

Millbank Tower, Millbank, London SW1P 4QP

tel: 0345 015 4003 or www.ombudsman.org.uk.

Monday to Thursday 

0900-1700 

Friday 

0900-1430  

Appointment times with a particular Dentist will vary during these hours. 

NHS England 

telephone: 0300 311 22 33 

website: http://england.nhs.uk/mids-east  

email: england.contactus@nhs.net