We will:

• Justify the trust our patients have placed in us
• Listen to patients’ views and learn from them
• Communicate with patients in a courteous, friendly, professional manner
• Provide patients with the standard of care that we would expect to receive ourselves
• Make sure that patients receive full information about our services, their treatment and its cost
• Provide advice and treatment outside normal surgery hours where necessary
• Stand by the promises we make
• Refer patients for further professional advice and treatment where appropriate
• Are committed to ensuring that we keep our professional skills and knowledge up-to-date
• At all times respect our patients’ confidentiality
• Ensure that patients should have to wait no longer than 30 minutes to be seen
• Manage our appointments system so that treatment appointments are booked no more than 6 weeks ahead
• Deal with every telephone call promptly
• Deal with correspondence within five days of receipt
• Provide patients with a treatment plan and estimate of costs for each new course of treatment. No treatment will be undertaken without the patient’s full and specific consent
• Make patients aware of our policy for collecting fees. Requests for payment will always be made courteously
• Make the practice policy for dealing with complaints known to patients. All complaints will be treated sympathetically and according to the agreed procedures.
• Provide the highest standards of infection control
• Provide any emergency treatment required during practice hours as soon as is reasonably practicable.
• Out of hours, contact number will be displayed at the entrance to the practice and recorded on the telephone answering machine. This information will be correct at all times.

In return, we would like you to:

• Participate in your dental treatment, particularly any advice about prevention and diet that we have asked you to continue at home
• Arrive on time for your appointment. Please give the practice at least 24 hours notice if you are unable to keep your appointment. We may charge for missed appointments where we have not been notified OR (for NHS patients) If you miss an appointment on more than one occasion without letting us know, we may need to review future provision of treatment for you at the practice
• Treat our staff courteously; they will do their best to help meet your needs. Violent or abusive patients will not be seen at our practice.
• Return to the practice for routine recall appointments as requested by the dentist. Failure to contact the practice for a period exceeding 2 years will result in you being considered a new patient and you may not have access to routine or emergency appointments. Subject to individual practice availability.