Complaints Policy

 

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Primary care complaints update

NHS Kent and Medway Patient Experience Team take on responsibility for complaints from Monday, 31 March. This replaces the current process through the South East Complaints Hub (SECH).

Bringing primary care complaints back ‘in house’ will align the service with other complaints already being managed and help identify themes or trends. This will enable us to improve learning and improve patient care - see below for details of Learning from Patient Feedback webinar taking place on Wednesday, 2 April.

Please make sure you update all of your information and change the details on your website/ practice documentation regarding how patients can make a complaint to the commissioner. In particular, please make sure these contact details are included:

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

The Patient Experience Team is available from 8am to 4pm, excluding weekends and Bank Holidays, and will aim to respond as soon as possible within three working days. Each complaint that is received will receive an acknowledgement within three working days.

We have also noticed that some practice websites have included NHS Kent and Medway's general enquiry email and address. Please remove this as we are getting a number of emails from patients (sometimes with patient identifiable information) about their care which it is not appropriate for us to receive.

Further information from the Patient Experience Team.

 

Making a Complaint

The Wells Medical Practice is committed to providing a high quality service to all our patients, however we are aware that things can go wrong, resulting in a patient feeling that they have a genuine cause for complaint.

Most problems can be dealt with quickly and we encourage patients to initially speak to a member of staff or our Practice Manager so that we can resolve any problems swiftly and amicably.  Should you wish to make a written complaint, please do so using one of the following options:

Write a letter addressed to:

Practice Manager

The Wells Medical Practice
Abbey Court
7-15 St John's Road
Tunbridge Wells
TN4 9TF

(this can either be posted or handed to reception)

Complete an online submission:

We acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 3 working days, and aim to have looking into the matter within 10 working days. You will then receive phone call from our Practice Manager and a formal reply in writing, or you may be invited to the practice to meet with the person(s) concerned to attempt to resolve the issue. If the matter is likely to take longer than this we will let you know and keep you informed as the investigation progresses.

 

Complaining on behalf of someone else

We keep to the strict rules of medical and personal confidentiality. If you wish to make a complaint and are not the patient involved, we will require written consent of the patient to confirm that they are unhappy with their treatment and that we can deal with a representative on your behalf.

Where the patient is incapable of providing consent due to illness or accidently it may be possible to deal with the complaint. Please provide the precise details of the circumstances in which the patient is unable to complain themselves.

 

Other Organisations you may wish to contact for help and advice

NHS Complaints Advocacy - Kent

If you need help pursuing your complaint, you may wish to contact the Independent Health Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS). This is an independent organisation that represents the interests of patients. ICAS provides free advice and support for people making a complaint.

The Advocacy People
PO Box 375
Hastings
TN34 9HU
Tel: 0300 440 9000

NHS England

NHS England handle all health queries and concerns relating to primary care and to the services that it commissions directly for the South of England:

NHS England
PO Box 16738
Redditch
B97 9PT
Tel: 03003 11 22 33 (Mon - Fri 8am to 6pm, excl. bank holidays)
Visit the NHS England website