Contacting your provider directly

If your concern, enquiry or complaint relates to care you have received from a GP, dentist, pharmacist or optician, the first step will be to contact them directly.

Each provider has their own complaints procedures and they can help you with any problems that have arisen and can help with any complaints relating to their services.

NHS Kent and Medway

NHS Kent and Medway ICB may be able to consider your complaint about GP practices, dentists, pharmacists and opticians.

If you are unsure what to do or who to contact, please get in touch with the Patient Experience Team at NHS Kent and Medway.

The team may be able to help but are unable to progress a complaint that has already been raised with the provider of the service.

For GP practices, as set out in “you and your general practice”, if you want to give feedback, raise a concern or wish to make a formal complaint, ask to speak to the practice manager.

If you don't feel comfortable doing this, you can contact NHS Kent and Medway's Patient Experience Team. The team will be able to be able to guide you on the best way forward with your complaint.

If you are unsure what to do or who to contact, please get in touch with the Patient Experience Team at NHS Kent and Medway, who will be able to guide you.

Contact details for NHS Kent and Medway Patient Experience Team

Contact the team on:

  • Email:  kmicb.patientexperience@nhs.net
  • Phone: 01634 335095 Option 7
  • Post: Patient Experience Team,  2nd  Floor, Gail House, Lower Stone Street, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 6NB

Office hours are between 8am - 4pm excluding weekends and bank holidays.

In your correspondence, please could you ensure you have included your:

  • Full name
  • Postal address, email address and daytime telephone number
  • The patient's full name, date of birth and NHS number (if known), if you are complaining on behalf of someone else
  • The patient's consent for you to act on their behalf if you are making the complaint  for them.
  • The patient's GP practice.

We also request that you confirm that you are happy for us to forward your concerns to the service that you are complaining about (if appropriate).

Please include as much detail in your complaint as possible, such as names of staff, locations, dates, and times of events, if you are able to. If you have specific questions that you want answers to, it is helpful for you to list them.

Telling us what outcome you are seeking will help us resolve your concerns to your satisfaction, wherever possible.