The new provider of skin condition services in Medway has faced "unforeseen issues" during the transition resulting in desperate users being left hanging on the phone for hours.

DMC Healthcare took over the £17.5 million contract at the start of the month after Medway Maritime Hospital closed its department.

It meant for patients in Medway, Swale, Swanley, Dartford and Gravesham dermatology services, covering things like eczema, skin cancer and acne, were moved to community clinics.

The Messenger reported in February how there were concerns around the most complex skin cancer care as DMC could not confirm if the previous arrangement with East Grinstead's Queen Victoria Hospital would continue.

In the face of criticism about a lack of consultation deputy managing director at Medway CCG Stuart Jeffery re-iterated the new-look service would cut waiting times.

But even those patients undergoing basic treatment have experienced huge issues since DMC took the reins.

Patients took to Twitter to report their frustrations to DMC, with one saying she'd been unable to arrange an appointment despite this being the only way she could get medication, another claiming to have been on hold for eight-and-a-half hours and a third saying she'd been cut off several times.

DMC's clinical director Ravi Gupta said the company had "inherited a larger than expected backlog of patients" and had experienced a high volume of calls since it took over.

He added almost 1,000 patients had been seen in the first two weeks and those with suspected cancer were being prioritised and seen within a fortnight.

Mr Jeffery said: "As with any change of provider there is a significant amount of preparatory work but sometimes unforeseen issues arise. We believe DMC had prepared sufficiently but inherited a higher backlog of appointments than expected.

“Patients who had an appointment booked at Medway hospital were sent a letter telling them DMC would be in touch to rebook. Patients with suspected cancer, urgent or medication needs are being prioritised. However, many patients are currently trying to call DMC, which is making it harder for the provider to make outgoing calls.

“We are aware of the issue with contacting patients and we believe the steps that DMC has taken are the right ones to rectify the situation. This includes installing additional phone lines and issuing staff with mobiles."

Dermatology services are now provided from six community hospitals and GPs across north Kent.