PALS

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Details: Last Updated: 25 August 2022

The PALS team at Ashford and St. Peter’s Hospitals is a patient friendly, easy-to-access service designed to provide a personal contact to assist patients, relatives and carers.

Please do not visit the PALS office - due to movement restrictions around the hospital, we can only accept enquiries by telephone or in writing.

How to contact PALS

You can contact the PALS in the following ways:

		Call the PALS Office The PALS service will now run Monday to Friday 9-4pm. Please note that the weekend service is no longer available, but patients and visitors can get information on those days from the main reception or hospital switchboard. Dial extension 3553 if you are calling from an internal telephone within the hospital. If you are calling from outside the hospital, please call the PALS office direct on 01932 723553. Please do not leave a message outside these normal working hours. You can also contact the hospital switchboard on 01932 872000 who will direct your enquiry to the appropriate person or department / ward. Please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. our Appointment Centre for outpatient enquiries (or call 01932 723831 / 01784 884351 between 9am to 5pm).

		Ask a member of staff Please ask a member of staff on the ward or clinic you are attending. They will help put you in contact with the PALS team.

		Email Please email the PALS team on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

How can PALS help?

PALS can offer you on-the-spot advice and information when you have queries or difficulties regarding our services or the care you have received.

They will listen to your concerns and help you find ways of resolving them.

They will also take note of what you tell them to help us improve our services for patients.

Download the Your Comments and Concerns leaflet

In the first instance

If you have a problem or concern, you should tell someone in the ward or relevant department as soon as possible – for example, the doctor, nurse, receptionist or ward sister.

If you remain concerned, or the problem is not resolved, please contact the Trust’s PALS team who will help you.

Often, difficulties can be easily and quickly resolved and the PALS team will aim to do this.

If it is not possible for the PALS team to help, they will guide you to a more appropriate person or service.

PALS Promise to You

The Ashford and St. Peter’s Hospitals NHS Trust Patient Advice and Liaison Service is here to help patients and their relatives and carers find a speedy and effective solution to any problems they may encounter.

They can also give you up to date information about the services available throughout the Trust.

If you contact PALS for assistance or advice, the PALS team will:

Advise you of the options available to you and help you to find the best way of resolving your problem.
Deal with your problems in confidence and only pass on information to other people or departments with your permission.
Keep you advised of the progress of any action you ask us to take on your behalf.
Contact you in person or by telephone within one working day of your initial call.
Use anonymised information from our contact with you to improve hospital services for the future.
Not access your medical records or obtain information about you from staff without your permission.
Ask you if you were happy with the assistance we gave and ask for suggestions for making the PALS service better.
Ensure that no person who contacts The Patient Advice and Liaison Service will receive less favourable treatment from PALS on the grounds of their sex, marital status, race, colour, creed, religion, physical disability, mental health, learning difficulty, age or sexual orientation.

If you have problems or difficulties

If you have a problem which has not been sorted out on the ward or in a department, PALS will help you to resolve it, or refer you to the appropriate person who will be able to assist you further.

Should you need to speak to a particular member of staff, PALS can contact the relevant member of staff and ask them to contact you.

The PALS team can also help to explain the complaints process and refer you to the complaints department when necessary as well as outside advocacy services should you need them.

If you require an interpreter

If your first language is not English, PALS will be able to help and will work with the department you are attending to arrange for an interpreter to assist you.