OVER 83 per cent fewer cases have been referred for fitness to practise procedures by the Dental Complaints Service (DCS) over the last four years, according a DCS performance review.
The DCS attributes the significant drop largely to its work in 2018 to review and amend its referral principles and criteria, resulting in a "more proportionate approach".
Head of DCS Operations, Michelle Williams, said: "I am very proud to say that since the DCS was launched in 2006, more than 5,000 complaints have been resolved and we have assisted with over 19,000 enquiries. This review illustrates the significant progress we have made to improve the fair and impartial service we provide to patients, who rely on the DCS for assistance in resolving their private dental care complaints."
A strategic review of the DCS is now underway – due for completion in 2020 – which aims to establish how the service can best fit into an effective system-wide approach to handling complaints going forward.
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