Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
Our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) is a confidential service that provides help, advice and information for patients, families and carers. It covers Salford Royal Hospital, The Royal Oldham Hospital, Rochdale Infirmary and Fairfield General Hospital.
If your concern is in regard to care and treatment at North Manchester General Hospital please note you will need to contact Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust: Email: pals@mft.nhs.uk or Telephone: 0161 276 8686
If you’d like to tell us about your experience, give thanks or comment on what we did well, please use the contact form
Alternatively, you might like to publish your feedback or leave a review of our services on the NHS website.
Or you can get in touch with PALS who are committed to:
- helping our patients and families find answers to questions or concerns regarding their care or treatment
- providing patients and carers with information, advice or support
- helping to resolve concerns quickly by liaising with staff and managers
- referring our patients and carers on to external agencies or specialist advocacy services, where appropriate
Understanding the NHS and all its complexities can be daunting and finding answers can sometimes be difficult.
Our friendly PALS team is here to help.
They’ll listen carefully to your enquiry or concern, working closely with our staff who have direct contact with patients, their families and carers to quickly resolve the issue.
The care you receive will not be adversely affected by speaking to PALS or raising a complaint.
What to do first
If you have a problem or issue relating to your clinical care and treatment now, you should always talk to your consultant, nurse or other staff in the ward/department/clinic. They’re the best people to help in the first instance.
If they can’t resolve the problem for you, you’re welcome to contact PALS.
PALS services include:
- providing you with information and confidential advice about the Group, helping with any other health-related enquiry and offering the opportunity to ask any questions
- helping you to clarify your problems and look at the options available to resolve them
- giving you details of places where further health information can be obtained
- providing information about the NHS complaints procedure and advice about making a formal complaint if this is necessary
- advising you about the role of independent advocacy services and how to contact them
- helping the Group to improve services by listening to what matters to patients, their relatives and carers, and making changes when appropriate
PALS can’t provide advocacy, counselling, diagnosis or medical advice.
However, they can speak on your behalf to the people that provide these services. PALS can contact clinical staff and departments to obtain information or investigate your concerns. They’ll then relay this information back to you verbally.
PALS don’t provide detailed written responses to concerns or complaints. If you want one, you’ll need to contact the complaints department. Please see the complaints section below for more information.
Call: 0161 778 5665 between 09.30 hours and 16.30 hours Monday to Friday or drop into one of the PALS offices on each hospital site.
Email: pals@nca.nhs.uk
Or you can write to:
PALS & Complaints Department
Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust
Unit 7-8
Whitney Court
Hamilton Street
Oldham
OL4 1DB
PALS office locations
These are located in the following places:
- The Royal Oldham Hospital - The PALS Office is located at the Main Entrance to the hospital.
- Fairfield General Hospital - The PALS Office is located at the Main Entrance to the hospital.
- Rochdale Infirmary - The PALS Office is located in the out-patient department (No PALS Officer currently on site )
- Salford Royal – Out-patient’s Department, Turnberg Building (No PALS Officer currently on site )
Dealing with Complaints
The Northern Care Alliance is committed to providing a service which is patient centred and delivers excellent care. Unfortunately, sometimes things can go wrong with your care, and on these occasions we welcome your suggestions on how we can improve services and provide care which better reflects your needs. The NCA will not discriminate against any individual as a result of making a complaint.
Who can complain?
A complainant can be a person affected or likely to be affected by the actions or decisions of an NHS organisation, providing NHS services or treatments. A complaint can also be made on behalf of a patient once their written consent has been obtained.
As many problems can be resolved by talking things over we would suggest that in the first instance you tell the person in charge of the ward or department or the Consultant responsible for your care of your worry or problem. If they can help they will be happy to do so.
If you feel you would prefer to speak to someone who is separate from the ward or department then please contact the PALS. They offer confidential advice, support and information on health-related matters to patients, their families and their carers. They provide advice over the telephone but do not provide detailed written responses (these are handled by the Complaints department).
How to contact the Complaints Department?
Telephone: 0161 656 1141
Email: office.complaints@nca.nhs.uk
In writing: PALS & Complaints Department, Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, Unit 7-8, Whitney Court, Hamilton Street, Oldham, OL4 1DB.
Anyone can make a complaint about the NHS services or treatment they have received. If you are making a complaint on the behalf of someone else, written consent may be needed.