Complaints Procedure

If something has gone wrong, we want to know about it. Most problems can be put right quickly by talking to us, and we would always rather hear about it than not. This page explains how to complain, what we will do, and who else you can turn to if you are not satisfied with our answer.

Talk to us first

The quickest way to sort most things out is to speak to the pharmacist or a member of the team, in the pharmacy or by phone. If you would rather put it in writing, or the problem is not resolved, you can make a formal complaint.

Making a formal complaint to us

Our superintendent pharmacist, Mala Mahasuria, is responsible for making sure complaints are handled properly and that we act on what we learn.

You can complain in person, by phone, by letter, or through our contact page. Write to: Complaints, Kents Pharmacy, 104 Walton Road, East Molesey, Surrey KT8 0DL. Please tell us what happened, when, and what you would like us to do about it.

Please complain within 12 months of the event, or of first becoming aware of it. We can consider a later complaint if there was a good reason for the delay and it is still possible to investigate fairly.

You can ask someone else to complain on your behalf — a relative, a friend, or an advocate — and we will need your permission to discuss your care with them.

What happens next

• We will acknowledge your complaint within three working days, and offer to discuss with you how it will be looked into and how long that is likely to take.
• We will investigate it properly and fairly. That may mean speaking to the staff involved and reviewing our records.
• We aim to give you a full written response within [20 working days]. If it is going to take longer, we will tell you why and keep you updated. If for any reason we cannot respond within six months, we will write to explain.
• Our response will explain what we found, whether we think something went wrong, what we are doing about it, and what you can do if you are still not satisfied.

Making a complaint will never affect the care or service you receive from us. Your complaint is kept separate from your patient records.

Complaining about an NHS service without coming to us

If your complaint is about an NHS service we provide — an NHS prescription, Pharmacy First, or another NHS-funded service — and you would rather not raise it with us directly, you can complain instead to the organisation that commissions NHS pharmacy services in this area:

NHS Surrey and Sussex Integrated Care Board (ICB)
Email: syheartlandsicb.complaints@nhs.net
Phone: 0300 561 2500
Post: Complaints team, NHS Surrey and Sussex ICB, Block C, 1st Floor, Dukes Court, Woking, Surrey GU21 5BH

A complaint can be investigated by us or by the ICB, but not by both at the same time. The ICB’s own advice is that a formal complaint is usually best made directly to the provider of the care.

Free help to make a complaint

If you would like independent support with an NHS complaint, the Independent Health Complaints Advocacy service is free and confidential for people who live in Surrey. It is provided by Surrey Independent Living Charity (SILC).

Phone: 01483 310 500 (Monday to Friday, 10am–4.30pm)
Email: nhsadvocacy@surreyilc.org.uk
Website: surreyilc.org.uk

If you are not satisfied with our response

For an NHS service, once you have our final response you can ask the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman to review your complaint. The Ombudsman is independent of the NHS and the service is free. You should normally contact them within 12 months of our final response.

Phone: 0345 015 4033
Website: ombudsman.org.uk

Private services and The Skin Bar

Our private services — travel vaccinations, private consultations and the other services you pay for — are handled through the same procedure above. The ICB, the advocacy service and the Ombudsman deal with NHS services only, so they do not apply to private services. If a consumer matter cannot be resolved between us, the Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133 can advise you on your options.

The Skin Bar is a separate business that operates from our premises. Complaints about its treatments should be made to The Skin Bar directly.

Concerns about a pharmacist or the pharmacy

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) regulates pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacies in Great Britain. If you have a serious concern about the conduct or fitness to practise of a pharmacy professional, or about the safety of the pharmacy, you can report it to the GPhC. The GPhC does not deal with general customer service complaints such as refunds, waiting times, prices or medicines being out of stock — those come to us.

Phone: 020 3713 8000
Website: pharmacyregulation.org

This procedure follows the Local Authority Social Services and National Health Service Complaints (England) Regulations 2009. Last reviewed September 2026.