At Pankhurst Psychiatry, we are committed to providing the highest standard of psychiatric care and service to all our patients. With over 20 years of experience and more than 1000 patients helped, we strive for excellence in everything we do.
We recognise that despite our best efforts, there may be occasions when you feel we have not met your needs or expectations. We value your feedback as it helps us to continuously improve our services and ensure we maintain the high standards our patients deserve.
You have the right to raise concerns or make a complaint about any aspect of the service you have received from Dr Kevin Pankhurst or staff working at Pankhurst Psychiatry. You are entitled to:
• Ask for an explanation about your care or treatment
• Receive a prompt and thorough response to your concerns
• Have your complaint treated seriously and investigated properly
• Be treated with respect and dignity throughout the complaints process
• Have your complaint handled confidentially
• Receive support in making your complaint if needed
• Continue to receive the same high standard of care without prejudice
We approach all complaints with the following principles:
• Respect and Sensitivity: All complainants are treated with respect, empathy and understanding
• Confidentiality: Your complaint will be handled in strict confidence and will have no effect on the level of treatment and care you receive
• Fairness: We handle all complaints without prejudice or assumptions about their seriousness
• Timeliness: We aim to resolve issues quickly and keep you informed throughout the process
• Learning: We use complaints as opportunities to improve our services for all patients
• Transparency: We will be honest about what happened and what we can do to put things right
How to Raise a Concern or Complaint
We hope that we can resolve most problems easily and promptly, often at the time they arise and with the person concerned. If you have a concern, we encourage you to:
• Speak directly with the staff member involved
• Raise the matter during your appointment
• Contact us by telephone to discuss the issue
Many concerns can be resolved through open communication and we welcome the opportunity to address issues informally.
If your problem cannot be sorted out informally, or you wish to make a formal complaint, we would like you to do so as soon as possible - ideally within 12 months of the incident or from when you first became aware of the issue. This enables us to establish what happened more easily and investigate thoroughly.
You can make your complaint in the following ways:
1. Verbally: Speak to any member of the Pankhurst Psychiatry team face-to-face or by telephone
2. In Writing: Send a letter or email to Dr Kevin Pankhurst at:
Pankhurst Psychiatry
Esher Grove, 13 Church Street, Esher, KT10 8QS
Email: enquiries@pankhurstpsychiatry.co.uk
3. Using a Complaint Form: Request a Complaint Form from any staff member who will be happy to assist you in completing it
If you would like assistance with making your complaint, a member of staff will be happy to help you. We can also provide details of independent advocacy or support services if you require additional assistance.
Third Party Complaints
If you prefer, a family member, friend, or advocate may make a complaint on your behalf. We will work with them and yourself to resolve the problem.
Please note: While we can receive a complaint on your behalf, we cannot discuss or provide any medical information to a third party without your explicit written consent. If you wish a representative to discuss confidential matters on your behalf, we require a note signed and dated by you giving permission. A member of our staff would be happy to assist you with this.
We accept complaints made anonymously or on a confidential basis. Your identity will be protected if you request it, though this may limit our ability to respond to you directly or investigate certain aspects of your concern.
To help us investigate your complaint thoroughly, please provide:
• Your full name and contact details (unless making an anonymous complaint)
• Patient name and date of birth (if different from complainant)
• Details of the incident or concern, including dates and times if known
• Names of staff members involved, if known
• What outcome or resolution you are seeking
• Any supporting documentation or evidence
All complaints will be acknowledged within two working days of receiving them. We will confirm:
• That we have received your complaint
• Who is handling your complaint
• The expected timeframe for our response
• How you can contact us with any questions during the process
We will conduct a thorough and impartial investigation to:
• Establish what happened
• Review relevant records and documentation
• Speak with staff members involved
• Assess whether our procedures were followed correctly
• Identify if there is any action we can take to put things right
If your complaint involves clinical matters, the investigation will include review by an appropriately qualified clinician.
We aim to provide a full written response within 21 working days of receiving your complaint.
If our investigation is complex and requires more time, we will:
• Notify you before the 21-day deadline
• Explain why we need additional time
• Give you a revised timeframe
• Keep you fully informed of progress until our investigation is concluded
For complex cases, we may agree to an extended timeframe of up to 60 working days, depending on the issues raised.
Our written response will include:
• A summary of your complaint as we understand it
• Details of our investigation and findings
• An explanation of what happened
• An acknowledgement if mistakes were made, with an apology where appropriate
• Action taken or planned to address your concerns
• Changes to be implemented to prevent recurrence
• Information about further steps if you remain dissatisfied
Complaints About Specific Staff Members
Where an individual staff member has been mentioned in a complaint:
• The staff member will be informed of the complaint
• They will be given the opportunity to respond
• Fairness and confidentiality will be maintained during the investigation
• Where appropriate, contact between the staff member and complainant may be avoided during the investigation
• The staff member will be encouraged to seek advice from their professional association or medical defence organisation
We hope that through our complaints procedure we can resolve your concerns satisfactorily. However, if you feel that your complaint has not been dealt with adequately, you have the right to contact external organisations:
The CQC regulates health and social care services in England.
Contact: 03000 616161
Website: www.cqc.org.uk
Address: Care Quality Commission, Citygate, Gallowgate, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4PA
Independent Healthcare Sector Complaints Adjudication Service (ISCAS)
ISCAS provides independent adjudication for complaints about private healthcare.
Contact: 020 7536 6091
Website: www.iscas.org.uk
Email: info@iscas.org.uk
Address: 70 Fleet Street, London, EC4Y 1EU
If your complaint concerns Dr Pankhurst's professional conduct or fitness to practise, you may contact the GMC.
Contact: 0161 923 6602
Website: www.gmc-uk.org
Address: General Medical Council, 3 Hardman Square, Manchester, M3 3AW
Local Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) or Integrated Care Board (ICB)
For complaints related to NHS-funded care, you may contact your local CCG or ICB.
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
For NHS-funded services, if you remain dissatisfied after exhausting the local complaints procedure, you may contact:
Contact: 0345 015 4033
Website: www.ombudsman.org.uk
Time Limits for Making Complaints
Complaints should ideally be made within 12 months of the incident, or within 12 months of becoming aware of the matter. However, we may consider complaints made outside this timeframe if there are good reasons for the delay and it is still possible to investigate the matter fairly.
We welcome positive feedback as well as complaints. If you have compliments about our service or suggestions for improvement, please share these with us:
• Verbally to any member of staff
• In writing to Dr Kevin Pankhurst
• Via our website contact form
• Through online review platforms
All feedback, whether positive or constructive, is shared with the team and used to inform service improvements.
We are committed to learning from complaints to continuously improve our services. We will:
• Analyse complaints to identify trends and patterns
• Discuss complaints at regular clinical review meetings
• Implement changes to procedures and practices where needed
• Provide additional training to staff when identified as necessary
• Share anonymised case studies with the team to promote learning
• Monitor the effectiveness of changes made in response to complaints
• Include complaints data in service quality reviews
Record Keeping and Confidentiality
All complaints are recorded securely and maintained in accordance with:
• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
• Data Protection Act 2018
• Professional guidelines on confidentiality
• Care Quality Commission requirements
Complaints records are kept separate from clinical records but linked appropriately for governance purposes. Access is restricted to staff involved in handling the complaint.
Vexatious or Unreasonable Complaints
While we take all complaints seriously, we reserve the right to manage complaints that are vexatious, unreasonable, or harassing in nature. This may include:
• Setting boundaries on communication frequency or method
• Requiring complaints to be submitted in writing only
• Declining to investigate repeated complaints about the same issue where we have already provided a full response
• Involving legal support where harassment occurs
Any decision to restrict contact will be made at senior level and communicated to the complainant with clear reasons.
We recognise that being the subject of a complaint can be stressful for staff members. Pankhurst Psychiatry provides:
• Access to professional support and advice
• Encouragement to contact medical defence organisations
• Fair investigation processes
• Debriefing and learning opportunities following complaint resolution
This complaints policy is reviewed annually and updated to reflect:
• Changes in legislation or regulatory requirements
• Feedback from patients and staff
• Best practice developments
• Learning from complaints received
The effectiveness of our complaints handling is monitored through:
• Quarterly analysis of complaints data
• Patient satisfaction surveys
• Annual reviews of complaints handling
• Regular training for staff on complaints management
Pankhurst Psychiatry
Complaints Manager: Dr Kevin Pankhurst
Address: Esher Grove, 13 Church Street, Esher, KT10 8QS
Telephone: 0800 233 5102
Email: enquiries@pankhurstpsychiatry.co.uk
Website: www.pankhurstpsychiatry.co.uk
Practice Hours: Admin- Mon to Friday 9:00 – 14:00
Pankhurst Psychiatry is committed to providing high-quality, patient-centered psychiatric care. We value all feedback and will treat every complaint with the seriousness and attention it deserves. Our aim is to resolve concerns quickly, learn from our mistakes, and continuously improve our services.
This policy demonstrates our commitment to transparency, accountability, and excellence in psychiatric care.
Policy Owner: Dr Kevin Pankhurst
Approved Date: February 2026
Next Review Date: February 2027
Version: 1.0
Dr. Kevin Pankhurst
Private Consultant Psychiatrist
London & Surrey UK
MB,ChB; MMed(Psychiatry)
