Complaints against dentists have increased by 66% according to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) with the number of complaints being upheld also increasing from 42% to 78% (a lot more than their average ‘uphold rate’ of 60% for NHS services generally).

This apparent rise in dissatisfaction is doubtless multi-factorial, not least because of the continuing inequality of access to dental health services in the UK, but will be reflected in Fitness to Practice investigations by the GDC and compensation claims through the Courts.

As well as the emotional cost and business interruption, some medmal insurers or defence organisations will increase premiums or refuse renewals altogether, for those with blemished claims histories.

PROTECT YOUR CLAIM HISTORY AND INSURANCE PREMIUMS

Very often your claims history could have been protected with early, skilled intervention at the time of the incident or first complaint, but dentists/practice managers are often too busy to do that themselves or lack the experience or expertise, and insurers often refuse to help until there is a notifiable GDC involvement or claim.

All too often solicitors are instructed after it is too late when no complaint response was provided, or else a complaint response was sent that made matters worse.

That is where our expertise can pay huge dividends for your practice and your peace of mind.

FIXED FEE COMPLAINT HANDLING SERVICE

For a fixed annual fee of £3,000 plus VAT we will take the stress away from you by completing a preliminary investigation and responding to the complaint, assuming a maximum of up to 10 complaints per annum.

If there are fewer than 10 complaints, we will rebate 15% of the annual amount, or will also agree a discounted hourly rate for the 11th or every subsequent complaint.

This expert complaint handling service provided by Matthew Trinder, a Legal 500 recognised Leader in the Field will also include a review/response to any subsequent challenge to the complaint response.

In return for this fixed fee service, it is expected that:

  • You will promptly provide us with copies of the dental records and your input on the complaint as required;
  • Any necessary disbursements such as independent expert evidence where required will be agreed in advance and paid in addition;
  • Repetitive or vexatious complaints about the same circumstance (beyond a single challenge to the complaint response as above) are excluded;
  • This is a complaint handling service excluding compensation claims, Police, Health & Safety Executive or Coronial enquiries/investigations, Fitness to Practice investigations by the General Dental Council or investigations/reports by the Care Quality Commission, although we can assist with all of these issues outside of the fixed fee complaint handling service;
  • We will also provide risk management recommendations where relevant to minimise the risk of recurrence;
  • In the event of a referral to the General Dental Council or a compensation claim covered by your medmal insurance, you agree to request your insurer to instruct us as your strong preference (we will help you with the wording to use and match the Terms & Conditions of their usual panel firm);
  • This agreement can be cancelled by not less than one calendar month’s written notice, whereupon the annual fee will be rebated pro rata;
  • The annual fee is subject to review on an annual basis.

“Can’t fault Matthew at all when he represented me for my case. He was extremely thorough, knowledgeable, approachable and always gave great advice. He is a testament to his profession and I can’t thank him enough.” 
Dr Govind Dhaliwal, Dentist

‘Matthew is a diligent and consummate professional. He was a phenomenal source of advice and guidance with my case. Matthew was clear and logical in all of his correspondence. I would highly recommend his services to anybody seeking legal representation with dental/medical cases.’
Lee Walker BDS, Lee Walker Facial Aesthetics Academy

‘I would like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to Matthew for his exceptional services in assisting dentists with dental indemnity. His expertise and understanding of the intricacies of indemnity insurance have been invaluable. He has consistently demonstrated a deep commitment to ensuring our practices are protected and compliant.’
Dr. Rhona Eskander, Dentist

Matthew’s professionalism and thorough approach has helped navigate the often complex landscape of indemnity. His dedication to his clients and his in-depth knowledge make him a standout provider in the dental indemnity field. I highly recommend his services to any dental professional seeking reliable and expert guidance in indemnity solutions.
Dr. Rhona Eskander, Dentist

There is no one I trust more than Matthew. When you need his medico-legal expertise, he will be there for you and he will defend you to the highest professional standard. He simply is the BEST medico-legal solicitor out there and I totally recommend his medico-legal services to anyone, should you ever find yourself needing a top notch medico-legal expert.’
Dentist, West Midlands

If you have any questions or have another issue that you want to discuss, please contact Matthew Trinder.