Patient Advice And Liaison Service
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The Patient Advice and Liaison Service, or PALS, is an English
National Health Service The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation. There are three systems which are referred to using the " ...
body created to provide advice and support to NHS patients and their relatives and carers. The scheme was announced in the
NHS Plan 2000 The NHS Plan 2000 was a ten year plan of the Blair ministry for the National Health Service (England). It combined a commitment to substantial investment with some quite radical changes. The most controversial aspect of the plan was the introducti ...
. Pilot schemes were set up in 2001, with full nationwide implementation complete by 2002.


Functions

The functions of PALS are to: *Be identifiable and accessible to patients, their carers, friends and families *Provide on the spot help in every Trust with the power to negotiate immediate solutions or speedy resolution of problems *Act as a gateway to appropriate independent advice and advocacy support from local and national sources *Provide accurate information to patients, carers and families, about theTrust’s services, and about other health related issues *Act as a catalyst for change and improvement by providing the Trust with information and feedback on problems arising and gaps in services *Operate within a local network with other PALS in their area and work across organisational boundaries *Support staff at all levels within the Trust to develop a responsive culture The service can, for instance, act as a first point of contact for complaints, as well as providing information on NHS services and available treatment options. In some areas, PALS also provide complaint handling for hospitals. PALS services are therefore not always independent.


Offices

Each
NHS trust An NHS trust is an organisational unit within the National Health Services of England and Wales, generally serving either a geographical area or a specialised function (such as an ambulance service). In any particular location there may be several ...
has at least one PALS office, although many have more, with Durham PCT having the largest number: five (albeit four shared with Darlington PCT). An individual PALS office will therefore cover either a trust, or a geographical area, and there may be more than one possible point of contact.


References

{{reflist National Health Service (England) 2002 establishments in England Government agencies established in 2002 Advice organizations