PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service)

PALS

• Advocacy

  What's the difference between PALS, the complaints procedure and the NHS complaints advocacy?

  POhWER are the chosen provider of statutory NHS complaints advocacy in Bedfordshire, Norfolk, and Luton.  

  Visit www.pohwer.net to find out more or phone 0300 456 2364 (charged at local rate).

  Voiceability are the chosen provided of statuory NHS complaints advocacy in Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and Suffollk.

  Visit www.voiceability.org/  to find out more or phone 0300 330 5454.

• Compliments and Complaints

  Compliments
  If you would like to share a positive experience about your care or just make a comment on our services, we would be delighted to receive these and share them with the staff involved and wider audience.

  Compliments can be sent to:

  Freepost CCS LUT PATIENT EXPERIENCE
  

  Email:  ccs-tr.pals@nhs.net 

  You can also download our Patient Information Leaflet

  
  Complaints
  If you or your relatives are unhappy about any aspect of your care or the services you have received, please speak to a member of staff in the first instance as problems can often be sorted out on the spot.   If you are able to talk to the people providing the care you can give them the opportunity to put things right.

  However, If you don’t want to speak to a member of staff or you still feel dissatisfied or your issues have not been resolved, you can contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) where you can make a formal complaint.  
  
  We view complaints positively and use them as an opportunity to improve our services.

  Once we receive your complaint, we will contact you within three working days, and acknowledge your complaint, and discuss and agree with you the time frames to investigate your complaint.   An investigator will be assigned to your case and will liaise with you during the investigation.  At the end of the investigation the evidence and information found will be sent to you by the Trust's Chief Executive Officer.

  If you wish to view the full Complaints Policy for Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust then please click here.

  What happens if I am still not satisfied?
  We will do everything we can to resolve your complaint, including arranging meetings with staff involved and seeking independent medical advice.  
  
  In circumstances where you are still dissatisfied with the response, you can contact the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman .

  The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman 
  Millbank Tower
  Millbank 
  London 
  SW1P 4QP
  Telephone: 0300 015 4033
  Email: phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk 
  Website: www.ombudsman.org.uk

  If you need support from an advocate, please click on the relevant link below which will take you to the NHS Advocacy Service. 
  www.pohwer.net ( Bedfordshire, Luton and Norfolk)
  http://www.voiceability.org (Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and Suffolk)

• Q&A

  What happens to information about me if I contact PALS?

  Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust is committed to improving services to meet the needs and expectations of service users. PALS helps us build a picture of what is important to patients. This information is used to inform our development plans for the future.  PALS reports always use anonymous information and we take great care to ensure individuals cannot be identified.

• Your Feedback

  For information about how to give a compliment or make a complaint, please see our Compliments and Complaints section.

  CCS NHS Trust is committed to involving local people in the decisions we make to ensure that the services we provide are:

  • high quality
  • responsive
  • value for money.

  We believe that each and every individual living in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Luton, Norfolk, Peterborough and Suffolk using our services have the right to be involved in the ongoing development of the health services we provide.

  We also believe that anyone using our services has a responsibility to make the best use of health resources, and are able to access information and support that enables them to make healthy choices about their lifestyles.

  How are we involving users of our services, their representatives and the wider public?

  We invite anyone using our services to complete a Patient Experience Survey.

  Feedback is anonymous and is sent direct to an external company to compile data, but if there is something you wish us to know or to ask a question please contact the service directly or the PALS service.

  We are proud of the level of satisfaction demonstrated through the above activities but we are not complacent and are developing action plans to address areas, such as improving dignity and reducing waiting times.