Coping with complaints stress
NewsPosted by: Dental Design 22nd November 2019
Angela Love, Dento-legal Adviser at the DDU shares some helpful her tips on overcoming the anxiety of complaints stress.
In the latest Dentistry Confidence Monitor survey, eighty-four per cent of NHS dentists and 51 per cent of private dentists said they believed their role had negatively affected their mental health.
What’s worrying is that 72 per cent of all dentists surveyed said that they were unconfident about which organisation to turn to for support if they were feeling overly stressed or worried about their mental health.
The majority of dentists surveyed were also anxious about the risk of complaints. At the Dental Defence Union we understand that facing a complaint or claim for negligence can cause a lot of stress and worry.
Dental professionals often need to cope with the stress of high pressure environments and heavy workloads. This can easily be compounded by the duty to respond to complaints and cooperate with formal inquiries like adverse incident investigations, GDC complaints and Ombudsman’s investigations.
It’s quite normal to feel worried or depressed when faced with a complaint or investigation, however, it’s important that you are aware of this and get the support you need.
Every year, the DDU supports thousands of members responding to complaints and investigations and can provide help throughout what can seem at times to be a prolonged process.
Here are some recommended steps that may help to reduce the impact of a dento-legal investigation on your life, wellbeing and performance.
Act quickly
Contact the DDU or your own defence organisation as soon as you become aware of an investigation or complaint, or an incident that might lead to one. We can tell you what to expect and the process that will follow, and this can remove some of the fear of the unknown. At the DDU can also help you to plan your response with the assistance and support of an adviser who is a fellow dentist and knows what you are going through.
Talk to colleagues
Discussing concerns and complaints with colleagues is an important part of reflecting on performance and reviewing patient feedback.
They can understand the extra pressure an investigation places on you and help you to identify learning points to be shared with a wider group, if appropriate. They can also help you keep things in perspective by giving you positive feedback when things go well.
Colleagues may also be able to tell if stress is starting to affect your performance. Be willing to listen and respond to their concerns.
Get support from family and friends
Patient confidentiality places limits on what you can share, but families and friends are still an invaluable source of support. It’s understandable to protect those close to you from worry, but work stresses can often spill over into your home life, so it’s best to share your concerns.
Make sure you’re registered with a GP
As a profession, we are not always very good at recognising when to seek medical help ourselves. Your own GP can give you objective advice and refer you for further support if needed. Arranging an occupational health assessment could also allow reasonable adjustments to be made at work.
Consider getting extra emotional support
Think about contacting the Local Dental Committee (LDC) who might be able to provide valuable moral support at a time of stress. If your health is being affected, the Dentists’ Health Support Programme can provide general information and advice to dental professionals encountering health problems.
Above all, it’s important to try to maintain a sense of proportion and perspective. Dealing with a dento-legal incident or investigation is rarely career-ending and if you are with the DDU we can support you throughout the process.
