At New Hayesbank Surgery, we are committed to providing safe, effective, and respectful care. We welcome feedback and complaints from our patients and we want to understand your experience in your own words.
If you are unhappy with any aspect of the care or service you have received from our doctors or staff, please let us know. Many concerns can be resolved quickly and informally by talking with the person involved at the time. However, we operate a practice based complaints procedure, so if is not possible to resolve your concern or if you prefer, you may raise a formal complaint.
Who Is Responsible for Complaints?
The Responsible Persons for our complaints procedure are:
Dr. T Stanley, Partner
Lee Mays-Ford, Quality & Compliance Manager
Lee Mays‑ Ford oversees the handling and investigation of complaints on behalf of the practice.
How to Make a Complaint
You can make a complaint verbally, in writing, or by email.
We encourage you to raise your concern as soon as possible so that it can be investigated effectively.
Complaints should normally be made:
- Within 12 months of the event you are complaining about, or
- Within 12 months of becoming aware that there was something to complain about
If there is a good reason for a delay, we may still investigate where it is fair and practical to do so.
Making a Formal Complaint
Please address formal complaints to:
Lee Mays‑ Ford – Quality & Compliance Manager
- Email: kmicb.newhayesbanksurgery@nhs.net
- Post: New Hayesbank Surgery, Bybrook, Kennington, Ashford, Kent, TN24 9JZ
- In person: Main reception
If you prefer, you can request a meeting with Lee Mays‑ Ford to discuss your concerns. He will explain the complaints process and ensure your concerns are managed promptly and sensitively.
To help us investigate fully, please provide as much detail as possible about what happened, including dates, times, and the people involved.
Data Protection Complaints
If your complaint relates to how the Practice has collected, used, shared, stored or otherwise processed your personal information, this will be handled under the same complaints procedure described above. Data protection complaints can be submitted using the same contact details and will be investigated in accordance with UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025. You may also contact our Data Protection Officer at kmicb.gpdpoteam@nhs.net.
Complaints and the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Some people choose to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to help write complaints or emails. We understand that these tools can be helpful in organising thoughts or expressing concerns, however, AI-generated text can sometimes:
- include information that is inaccurate or not relevant
- use overly formal or legal language
- make complaints longer or more complex than necessary
- make it harder for us to clearly understand your personal experience.
This can occasionally delay our review or mean we need to contact you to clarify the details before we can respond fully. The most helpful complaints are usually clear and concise, and explain:
- what happened
- when it happened
- how it affected you
- what you would like us to do to resolve the matter
A short explanation in your own words is often more helpful than a long or highly formal letter. If you choose to use AI tools, we recommend that you:
- check the wording carefully to ensure it reflects your own experience
- remove any information that is inaccurate or not relevant
- take care when including sensitive personal information
Please be aware that some AI tools may store or use information entered into them. For further guidance on using AI to support a complaint, you may find this resource from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman helpful: Using AI tools to help your complaint
If you need support to make a complaint—for example due to language needs, disability, learning disability, or mental health or communication difficulties—please let us know. We will do our best to support you in a way that works for you.
What We Will Do
- Acknowledge your complaint within three working days
- Let you know who is dealing with your complaint and the expected timescale
- Investigate thoroughly and fairly
- Keep you informed if there are any delays
- Offer a full explanation and apology, where appropriate
- Identify learning points and make improvements to our services
Where appropriate, we can arrange a meeting to discuss your complaint and the outcome.
Who Can Make a Complaint?
A complaint may be made by:
- A patient
- A former patient
- Someone affected by an action, decision, or omission of the practice
A complaint can also be made by a representative on behalf of:
- A child
- A person who is unable, due to physical or mental illness, to make a complaint themselves
- A person who has died
In these cases, we must be satisfied that the representative is acting in the best interests of the individual. If we are unable to accept a representative complaint, we will explain our decision in writing.
Confidentiality and Consent
We strictly follow medical confidentiality and data protection legislation UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018.
If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we will normally require written consent from the patient unless they are unable to provide it due to illness or incapacity.
If You Are Not Satisfied With Our Response
If you remain unhappy with the outcome of your complaint after it has been fully investigated by the practice, you can ask the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) to review your complaint.
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London SW1P 4QP
- Complaints Helpline: 0345 015 4033 (Monday to Friday, 8.30am–5.30pm)
- Fax: 0300 061 4000
- Email: phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk
You will be asked to explain why you remain dissatisfied with the practice’s response.
Our Commitment to You
- Complaints, concerns and suggestions are routinely raised at practice meetings so that learning and improvements can take place
- Complaints records are kept separately from medical records
- Patients are never treated unfairly or discriminated against for raising a concern
We genuinely welcome your feedback and will always aim to put things right wherever possible.
Additional Support
You can also contact the NHS Kent and Medway Patient Experience Team for advice or support:
Patient Experience Team
2nd Floor, Gail House
Lower Stone Street
Maidstone
Kent ME15 6NB
- Telephone: 01634 335095 (Option 7)
- Email: kmicb.patientexperience@nhs.net
Please remember, we are here to help you