In this section

  1. Complaints about GP practices, dentists, pharmacists

    For if your concern, enquiry or complaint relates to care you have received from a GP, dentist, pharmacist or optician.

  2. Getting support when making a complaint

    Making a complaint is not always easy to do. Independent complaint advocacy is available within Kent and Medway.

Two staff members wearing clinic outfits and NHS lanyards walking down the street

Contacting the right service

If you have something you want to say about your care, you should tell the hospital or service that looked after you. They have their own rules for handling complaints, and special teams like PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service) who are there to help you.

Services and providers

Whilst NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB) plans and buys many local health services, they are not responsible for investigating complaints regarding the provision of these services. The ICB does not have access to clinical records and are not responsible for complaint outcomes, learning or actions taken as a result of the complaint about the provision of services.

NHS Kent and Medway

The ICB investigates and responds to complaints about the actions/decisions of the ICB.

Tell us about your experience

Positive Feedback, Comments, Enquiries, Compliments

Positive feedback is welcomed and helps us to understand what is important for you as a patient, carer or relative. Your feedback is valuable, and we are grateful for you taking the time. Please send any feedback or compliments to kmicb.patientexperience@nhs.net​​​​​.

Complaints

NHS Kent and Medway is committed to responding to patient needs and encouraging a culture that seeks and uses people's experiences of care to improve the commissioning of services.

We welcome your suggestions and feedback about both the services we commission and those we provide. We want to resolve any problems you may experience to help make local healthcare services more effective.

Our promise - What you can expect from us

  • We care - We will treat you with compassion.
  • We will act - Ensuring your feedback gets to the right place.
  • We will keep you updated - We will confirm how your complaint will be taken forward and advise any delays.
  • We will reflect - Striving to improve your experience and our process, through feedback, improvements, and innovation.

Please contact the Patient Experience Team at NHS Kent & Medway for feedback, queries, concerns or complaints regarding:

  • Conduct of NHS Kent & Medway staff
  • Services that NHS Kent & Medway provides (e.g. continuing healthcare, medicines management and individual funding requests)
  • Services commissioned (arranged and contracted) by NHS Kent & Medway

What is the time limit for making a complaint?

Please make your complaint as soon as possible, while memories are still fresh.

You should normally complain within 12 months of the event(s) concerned or within 12 months of becoming aware that you have something to complain about.

NHS organisations have discretion to waive this time limit if there are good reasons why you could not complain earlier, and an effective investigation can still be undertaken.

What happens once you have complained to NHS Kent & Medway?

We aim to acknowledge your complaint within three working days. We will advise on how your complaint is going to be investigated. This process may involve:

  • Corresponding, speaking or meeting with you, where appropriate, to gain your personal view of the issues you have raised.
  • Sharing your details with an outside organisation, such as other NHS providers of care or relevant organisations, with your permission. We will respect your right to confidentiality and treat any information you provide in strict confidence, handling this information in a safe and secure manner. However, there may be times when we need to share information without your consent, for example to protect children and vulnerable adults.
  • Using your information for investigation of your complaint. In order for the ICB to make improvements to the services you receive, anonymous information about your complaint may be shared as part of our reporting process. If identifiable data is needed for other purposes, then your consent will be sought.
  • NHS Complaints Standards require complaint investigations to be completed within six months and NHS Kent & Medway aims to respond within 30-40 working days from consent or clarity of issues when possible. Sometimes longer is required but we will let you know if there is going to be a delay and explain the reasons why, wherever possible.
  • Once the investigation has been completed, you will receive our response, including any improvements that have been, or will be made, as a result of your complaint.
  • If you are unhappy with the response to your complaint, you should contact the Patient Experience Team to see if the ICB can look into the case further, unless the response advises that local resolution of your complaint is concluded.
  • You can withdraw your complaint at any stage of the process.
  • Please be assured that your future care and treatment will not be negatively affected in any way because you have made your concerns known to us.