Patient information
Do you have a complaint?
We do our best to give you good care. If you are not satisfied, we would like to hear about it. That way we can look for a solution together and improve our care. Making a complaint costs you nothing.
Your opinion matters
A complaint can be made by you, by your representative, or by a surviving relative if the patient has died.
In short
- Preferably start with a conversation with your treating doctor; that is often the quickest way to resolve something
- You can get free help from an independent complaints officer
- We confirm your complaint within 5 working days; you will receive our response within 6 weeks
- If you are still not satisfied, you can go to the independent disputes committee
You choose where to start
The steps below are in order, but you do not have to go through all of them. You may also start at step 2 or step 3.
The steps
Talk to your doctor
A misunderstanding can often be resolved in a conversation. Your doctor knows what happened, can explain how something went, put something right, or choose a different course together with you. That is why we recommend starting here: it is usually the quickest route to a solution, and it tells us directly what could be better.
You can raise this at your next appointment, or request a conversation using the form for existing patients.
Recommended first stepHelp from the complaints officer
The complaints officer is independent and does not work for Femmecare. He or she is appointed by DOKh. The complaints officer helps you free of charge to put your complaint in writing and to find a solution with the clinic.
Once DOKh has heard about your complaint, the complaints officer will contact you within a week. Many complaints are resolved in a (telephone) conversation. If you wish, the complaints officer can also mediate between you and us; you will both be given the opportunity to explain what happened.
Submit your complaint to us in writing
In your complaint, state your name, your contact details, the date and what happened.
What you can expect from us:
- We confirm receipt of your complaint within 5 working days
- We investigate your complaint carefully and keep you informed
- Within 6 weeks you will receive a written response, setting out what we think of your complaint, what we decide and when we will act on it
- If we need more time, we will tell you in writing before the end of those 6 weeks; we then extend by a maximum of 4 weeks
The disputes committee
Are you not satisfied with our response? Or can you not reasonably be expected to complain to us first? Then you can put your complaint to the independent disputes committee of DOKh. Femmecare Clinics is affiliated with it.
- You submit your dispute in writing or by email, in principle within one year of receiving our response
- You pay € 50 in registration fees; if that is a problem for you, the disputes committee can waive it
- The disputes committee gives its decision in principle within 6 months, counting from the moment your dispute is declared admissible
- The decision is a binding opinion: you and Femmecare Clinics must abide by it
- Because the decision is binding, you cannot afterwards put the same dispute to the courts
Other options
You can also turn to the Landelijk Meldpunt Zorg (the national healthcare reporting centre, part of the Health and Youth Care Inspectorate), the Regional Disciplinary Tribunal for Health Care, or the courts.
Your personal details
We treat your complaint confidentially. Only those involved in handling your complaint see your details.
Based on: the Dutch Care Quality, Complaints and Disputes Act (Wkkgz) · DOKh complaints procedure (30 April 2025) · DOKh disputes committee regulations · Femmecare complaints procedure, patient version.
Not sure how to proceed?
Do you not know where to start, or do you have a question about this procedure? Contact us and we will think it through with you.
You can reach us by phone on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 09:30 to 12:00 and from 13:00 to 16:00 on 043 700 9773.