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Contact Us

Contacting the Patient Advice and Liaison Service

What is PALS?

As a patient, relative or carer sometimes you may need to turn to someone for on-the-spot help, advice and support. This is where the Patient Advice Liaison Service (PALS) comes in.

PALS is an accessible and confidential service for patients, relatives, and carers. It is there when you don’t know where to turn, when you need information or advice, or have concerns about the Ambulance Service or Out of Hours service.

PALS Service

PALS works with patients and staff to:

• offer advice and support to patients, their families and carers
• provide information on NHS services
• listen and respond to concerns, suggestions and queries
• help sort out problems quickly on your behalf

Anyone who is an NHS patient can use this service. It is available weekdays between 9am and 5pm, with an answer phone service out of hours.

We are available for patients, their families or carers. If you have been unable to resolve a problem by speaking with the healthcare staff directly involved, we can help you with your questions and concerns.

Often to help resolve a problem, it may be necessary for the PALS Co-ordinator to discuss any concerns with other members of staff and NHS trusts. We will always ask for your permission before personal details are discussed with others.

Only in exceptional circumstances where your safety or that of others must be considered will we have to pass on information. We will always tell you if we have to do this.

What action will be taken?

PALS can informally investigate issues that you raise with us. We will ensure that the matter is brought before the senior managers of the area concerned. We will contact you with an explanation of what has happened and let you know what has been done to rectify matters for the future.

If you are making an enquiry on behalf of someone else, such as a friend or relative, the PALS service will need written consent from that individual before any specific details about their experience can be provided to you. We can, however, provide general information about our standards and policies where this will answer your enquiry.

Regular statistical reports on PALS enquiries are produced by the PALS service and presented to the Trust's decision making forums and external service monitoring organisations.

What if my enquiry involves other organisations?

Often to help resolve a problem, it may be necessary for the PALS Co-ordinator to discuss your concerns with other members of staff and NHS trusts. The PALS service will not disclose information about you or your concerns for this purpose without first discussing it with you and obtaining your permission.

Only in exceptional circumstances, such as where your safety or that of others must be considered, will the PALS service have to pass on information we hold about you. We will always tell you if we have to do this unless it would be detrimental to the prevention or detection of a serious crime to do so.

What if I am not satisfied?

If the PALS service does not resolve matters to your satisfaction then we can advise you where to seek specialist advice to make a formal complaint.

Contacting PALS

Contact the Trust's PALS for information on ambulance and Out of Hours services in the South West. Click here to view a printable version of the Trust's PALS leaflet.

Complete our Tell Us About It online form.

Trust Headquarters, Unit 3 Abbey Court, Sowton Industrial Estate, Exeter, EX2 7HY, Tel: 01392 261500, Fax: 01392 261510, Email: publicrelations@swast.nhs.uk

Copyright © 2006 South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust