It’s important we listen to the people who matter the most: our patients and local people, so we can be sure to continue delivering outstanding care in the right place at the right time.
There are lots of ways you can have your say – and you can get involved as little or as much as you like.
Check out our how easy it is to make your voice heard:
Give feedback on a service
The NHS is passionate about listening to the feedback we receive from our patients and carers.
It is vital to improving and guiding services and helps maintain caring, exceptional and safe care.
Giving feedback is quick and easy.
To pay a compliment, raise a concern or make a complaint you can contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) or you can complete a PALS contact form.
Become a member of our trust
NHS foundation trusts are like co-operatives where local people, patients and staff can become members.
As a member, you will have more of a say in the future of our services, through the Council of Governors, which works closely with the Trust Board.
It’s your choice how involved you become with member opportunities, such as taking part in surveys and questionnaires, reviewing our information leaflets, joining panels or working groups and sharing your views at public meetings or events.
As a member, you will also have the choice to stand for election as a governor.
Membership enquiries
0300 013 2143
kcht.membership@nhs.net
Trust Membership Office
Trinity House, 110-120 Upper Pemberton
Eureka Park
Kennington
Ashford
Kent TN25 4AZ
Our People’s Network
Have you, or someone you love, used our services?
This group is for people who want to share their healthcare experiences with us to help develop and improve the work we do.
The network is made up of past and present patients and people who have cared, or are caring, for a loved one. Our governors, volunteers complete the group.
A dedicated team supports network members to use their knowledge and skills to work alongside our healthcare professionals to review and create products like training materials, information booklets, new services and organisational policies.
Network members are called our Participation Partners and meet for two hours every other month virtually and face-to-face.
Volunteering
Giving a little of your time can make a huge difference to our patients.
There are lots of ways to volunteer and lots of reasons why people do – from just walking and talking with a patient, or helping in one of our hospital gardens, to being a research champion or breastfeeding peer support advisor.
Our volunteers tell us becoming a volunteer has empowered them to ‘give back’ while improving their own wellbeing, teaching them new skills, progressing their careers up and meeting new people.
How often you volunteer is up to you but we do ask that people can commit to at least six months service.
Experts Patients Programme
Our Expert Patients Programme (EPP) is a free six-week course for people who live with, or have personal experience of someone living with, one or more long-term health conditions.
The course offers a toolkit of techniques to help you help you to manage your condition and take control of your health, as well as connecting with people who share similar experiences.
Courses are delivered in person in community venues and online and each weekly session lasts two and a half hours including a break.
Patient-Led Assessments of the Care Environment (PLACE)
Are you a past or present patient who can join us in our hospitals and community settings to tell us directly how we can make improvements to our environment and services?
PLACE assessments take place every year across all hospitals, hospices and independent treatment centres providing NHS-funded care and help us understand how well we are meeting the needs of our patients.
Working in teams, PLACE patient assessors give their opinions on how healthcare settings support the provision of clinical care. Together, they assess privacy and dignity, food, cleanliness and general building maintenance and the extent to which the environment is able to support the care of those with dementia or with a disability.
Healthy Communities Steering Group
Are you a member of a migrant community, or ethnic minority group, who has faced difficulty using our services?
We want to make sure everybody has the same opportunity to access healthcare and invite you to share your experiences so we can continue to plan and deliver services in a fair and inclusive way.
The steering group meets monthly online and quarterly in person at various voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations across Kent.
Colleagues and people who work with people from migrant communities and ethnic minority groups are also welcome to join.
Contact us
If you would like to get involved, contact:
Patient and Carer Partnership Team
0300 013 2045 and select option one
kentchft.engagement@nhs.net
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm