Complaints procedure

What to do if you have a complaint about a physiotherapist?

You can expect every physiotherapist to practice their profession to the best of their ability. However, if you have complaints about the treatment or the way your physiotherapist interacts with you, it's good to make it known. For yourself, for other patients, and for the quality of physiotherapy. To start, it's worth having a conversation with your physiotherapist or contacting the practice where they work. If it makes you feel more secure, you can ask a familiar person from your family or circle of friends to be present. You can also request a mediation conversation through the Royal Dutch Society for Physiotherapy (KNGF). If mediation doesn't yield the desired result or if you're apprehensive about confronting your physiotherapist, you can also contact the Health Care Information and Complaints Office (IKG). For the IKG in your region, you can contact the National Information Point for Patients.

How does filing a complaint work?

If a conversation or mediation doesn't yield the desired result, you can use a complaint procedure. There are three bodies where you can file your complaint:

1. The Complaints Committee of the KNGF
2. The Supervisory Committee of the KNGF
3. The Regional Disciplinary Committee of the government

In all cases, an independent committee handles your complaint. The handling of the complaint is free of charge, except for any (potential) costs of assistance. However, the authority to take measures differs per committee. Naturally, all committees handle your complaint very carefully and confidentially. More information about the three different bodies, what you can achieve here, and how the procedure works, can be found below.

Where can you go with a complaint about your physiotherapist?

1. Complaints Committee of the KNGF:
For physiotherapists in private practice, the KNGF has established a complaints committee. For physiotherapists working at a healthcare institution (e.g., a hospital), their employer's own complaint procedure usually applies. In that case, you can contact the institution directly.

2. Association Disciplinary Law of the KNGF: Supervisory Committee:
To supervise the behavior of members, the KNGF has established the so-called association disciplinary law. All physiotherapists who are KNGF members and/or registered in the Central Quality Register must adhere to the code of conduct and professional ethics for physiotherapists. Complaints can be filed with the KNGF's Supervisory Committee. The condition is that the treatment your complaint is about took place no more than ten years ago.

3. Regional Disciplinary Committee:
Physiotherapists fall under the Disciplinary Law introduced by the government. Complaints about your treatment or approach by a physiotherapist can be filed with a Regional Disciplinary Committee. The condition is that your complaint concerns a treatment or incident after December 1, 1997.

What can you achieve with a complaint?

Wherever you file your complaint, a ruling will be made on the complaint in any case. In all cases, your complaint is handled by an independent committee, consisting of a lawyer, experts/physiotherapists, and, in the case of the Complaints Committee, a representative of the umbrella patient organization. However, the different committees each have different possibilities to take measures.

Complaints Committee of the KNGF:
The complaint right is a low-threshold, quick way to present your complaint to an independent committee. The complaint right is complainant-oriented and aims to restore the relationship between the complainant and physiotherapist. It's also an instrument to improve the quality of physiotherapy. If the complaint is declared well-founded, the committee can make recommendations to the physiotherapist to prevent more complaints. The physiotherapist must respond to the recommendations but is not obliged to follow them. The committee cannot award compensation.

Association Disciplinary Law of the KNGF: Supervisory Committee:
The association disciplinary law is similar to the statutory disciplinary law. However, the threshold is lower, the treatment is private, and generally proceeds quickly. In case of a well-founded complaint, a measure can be imposed on a physiotherapist. This can range from a warning, reprimand, or suspension from (certain rights of) KNGF membership to expulsion from KNGF membership and deletion from the Central Quality Register. The committee can also determine that the case is published in the KNGF's association magazine. As the complainant, you always remain anonymous. The committee cannot prohibit the physiotherapist from practicing their profession.

Written submission:
A complaint must always be submitted in writing by you as a patient or, in the case of a child, by the parents. Someone can also file a complaint on your behalf if you have authorized them to do so. Anonymous complaints cannot be processed. Describe your complaint as clearly as possible and include your own name and address as well as the name and private or practice address of the physiotherapist. Send your letter to the body that can best handle your complaint.