Complaints procedure
Are you dissatisfied with a treatment, the communication, or a bill? You can discuss your experience or file a complaint. This page explains how to get started, what an independent complaints officer can do, and what follow-up steps are possible. A complaint does not have to be about a medical error: the way you were assisted can also be a reason to get in touch.
Contact the relevant practice
Use the contact details on this page and mention that you would like to discuss a complaint. Ask for the person who handles complaints within the practice. Briefly describe which appointment or event it concerns and how you can be reached. A conversation can help to get an explanation and to find a solution together. If you prefer not to discuss your complaint directly with the practitioner, ask for the independent complaints officer.
A question about the treatment is not always a formal complaint. Therefore, clearly indicate whether you want an explanation, request a conversation, or submit a written complaint. Keep a copy of your message and note the date. If you have a complaint about orthodontics or implantology in Helmond, please mention the practice where the treatment took place. The specialist websites are not separate practice locations.
What helps in describing your complaint?
- Your name, contact option, and the practice to which the complaint relates.
- The date or period and a factual description of what happened.
- What you have already discussed and what response you received.
- What you would like to achieve, for example, an explanation, a conversation, or an assessment of the situation.
Only include information necessary to understand your complaint. Do not immediately send a complete file or an identity document via a regular web form. If additional data is needed, ask how you can share it securely. If someone else is submitting a complaint on your behalf, they may be asked for consent or proof that they are authorized to represent you.
Independent help with your complaint
According to the Wkkgz, you can receive free support from an independent complaints officer. They help articulate your complaint and can mediate between you and the care provider. Mediation aims to find a solution and is different from a binding decision by a disputes body.
Our practices are affiliated with the KNMT Complaints Service. You submit your complaint through the KNMT complaint form; a complaints officer will then contact you. The complaints officer's help is free of charge. The link to the form is in the box on this page.
Response and deadlines
For a written complaint, the Wkkgz generally stipulates a period of six weeks for a written judgment from the care provider. If careful investigation requires it, this period can be extended by a maximum of four weeks. The care provider must inform you about this before the first period expires. Discuss any additional agreements regarding mediation with the complaints officer; ensure that a request for more time is clearly documented.
If unclear whether your complaint has been received, ask who your contact person is and when you can expect a response. If you do not receive a reply, refer to your previous message in a reminder and contact the complaints officer if necessary. An acknowledgment of receipt is not, in itself, a substantive assessment of your complaint.
If you cannot reach an agreement together
If the KNMT Complaints Service does not lead to a solution, you can submit your complaint to the Stichting Geschilleninstantie Mondzorg (Dental Care Disputes Committee). It is recognised by the Dutch Ministry of Health under the Wkkgz and issues a binding decision, which cannot be appealed. A dispute procedure is different from mediation by a complaints officer.
You request a dispute form from the secretariat of the disputes committee: Postbus 8003, 3503 RA Utrecht, telephone 030 686 8730. A filing fee of €75 applies. Read the current regulations on the committee's website before you submit a dispute; they set out the conditions.
Urgent matters, a bill, or a privacy question
A complaints procedure is not intended for urgent care. If you have urgent complaints after a treatment, use the telephone contact route of your practice and do not wait for written complaint handling. If you have an unclear invoice, ask for clarification. Submitting a complaint does not automatically suspend a payment obligation; make separate arrangements about that.
Is your question about access to, correction of or the use of personal data? Then also see the privacy statement. You can submit a privacy request alongside a complaint about your care.