Article 6 Complaints relating to general dental services made after 31 March 2006
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Subject to paragraph (2), the complaints procedure established and operated by a succeeding contractor under the term of its—
general dental services contract which gives effect to paragraph 47 of Schedule 3 to the GDS Contracts Regulations; or
personal dental services agreement which gives effect to paragraph 47 of Schedule 3 to the PDS Agreements Regulations,
will apply to any complaint which a patient or former patient of the relevant dental practitioner to whom it is a succeeding contractor could have made (but did not make) on or before 31 March 2006 under paragraph 31A of Schedule 1 to the 1992 Regulations as it applies to complaints made by a patient or former patient of the succeeding contractor in relation to any matter reasonably connected with the provision of services under the contract or, as the case may be, the agreement.
In a case where there is no succeeding contractor, the complaint must be investigated by the Local Health Board in whose area the general dental services were provided.
Where a complaint falls to be investigated by a Local Health Board as a consequence of paragraph (2), the investigation will be carried out in accordance with the Directions to Local Health Boards on dealing with complaints about Family Health Service Practitioners.