Kin Vet Community Client Guide to Complaints

Introduction

At Kin, we value all feedback from our clients that can help us improve the service we offer. If you wish to raise a complaint about your experience with one of our practices, we will be happy to listen and will aim to address all your concerns as fully as possible.

Initiating a Complaint

Any complaints should be raised initially with the practice that your pet was treated at, as they will be best placed to investigate it and offer a response.

You can raise a complaint:

  • In person
  • Over the phone
  • By email
  • By written letter
  • On our feedback questionnaire that you are sent after an appointment.

Where possible, we request that you put your complaint in writing, as this will help our teams to fully address all your concerns.

To progress your complaint, we will need to know:

  • Your name, surname, and address
  • A contact telephone number and email address
  • Your pet’s name
  • The practice where you were seen
  • The dates of the visits or conversations that you wish to raise a complaint about

Your complaint should be acknowledged by the practice within 48 hours. We aim to respond to all complaints within 10 working days, but occasionally this is not possible (e.g. if relevant staff are on annual leave) and a longer timeframe is needed. We will let you know as soon as possible if this is the case.

You will receive a written response to your complaint via email. There will also be the opportunity to speak to the person who has handled your complaint if you would like.

If you have any additional questions that you would like to raise after receiving the initial response, you are welcome to do so, and the practice team will aim to respond to you in the same timeframes detailed above.

Escalating a Complaint

If you are unhappy with the initial response from your practice, you can request that the complaint be escalated to the Area Director. They will review your complaint, speak to local team members, and look at any relevant documentation. They may also consult other colleagues within Kin about this. They will aim to provide you with a response within 10 working days.

Mediation Services

A free, impartial mediation service is available from the Veterinary Client Mediation Service (VCMS). All our practices participate in this scheme, and if we cannot resolve your complaint ourselves, then we may suggest that the VCMS is contacted to help reach a resolution.

More information can be found on their website: https://www.vetmediation.co.uk/