Patient Advice and Liaison Service
Patient Advice and Liaison Service
The Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) is a free, confidential and impartial service available to everyone who uses the Trust's services, their families, carers or anyone who needs advice, information, support or guidance with a particular issue.
Contacting PALS
Opening hours
Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm (except bank holidays).
Telephone
The team can be contacted on their direct telephone number 01483 402757.
We try to answer all calls in person, but if all our staff are busy with patients, you may get a voicemail message, please leave a message and we will call you back. You can call outside normal working hours; we aim to return your call within 48 hours. If you need urgent advice outside of PALS opening times, you can contact the main hospital switchboards and ask to speak to the site manager.
Please email the PALS team on rsc-tr.PALS@nhs.net.
How PALs can help you
The PALS team aims to help patients, carers, staff and the public by:
- Listening to your concerns about your care and providing support and help to resolve them.
- Answering questions about your care in our hospital.
- Providing ‘on the spot help’ by giving advice, information and support.
- Passing on your compliments to our staff.
- Dealing with your problems in confidence.
- Referring patients to the complaints department.
- PALS cannot provide advocacy, counselling, diagnosis or medical advice. However, we can raise your concerns and questions with the appropriate teams.
- We are unable to change or affect a medical decision that has been made. However, we can raise your concerns and questions with the appropriate teams.
- We aim to provide a response within three working days although there maybe times this takes longer depending on the enquiry.
Are you waiting for your appointment?
Waiting times for appointments
We are experiencing a significant backlog in appointments for some of our services following our response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Please be assured that we are doing everything in our power to work through our lists to give you the help that you need. We are making good progress and have significantly reduced the number of patients classed as long waiters.
Finding out about your appointment
Unless there has been a change in your symptoms, please do not contact your GP for an update on waiting times, or to ask them to speed up the process.
If you have any concerns or questions please use the contact details on your hospital letter, or if you do not have a letter with these contact details, our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) can answer your queries. However, please note that the team cannot access this information about appointment waiting times directly, limiting the speed of their response.
We are working as hard as we can to serve our community and will be in touch with you as soon as we can.
Thank you for your understanding.
My enquiry is about my GP. Can Royal Surrey County Hospital PALS team help me?
Unfortunately not, you will need to contact the Practice Manager at your Surgery or contact your local Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) for your area.
How can I access my medical records?
Data Protection legislation allows you to find out what information is held about you on computer and in manual records. This is known as a Subject Access Request (SAR).
If you would like a copy of your healthcare records you can submit a request in writing or by email to the details below:
Healthcare Records Manager
Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust
Egerton Road
Guildford
Surrey
GU2 7XX
Can I complain anonymously?
Yes. However, if you are expecting to receive a response we will be unable to do this without your contact details. Please be aware that all of our enquiries and complaints are treated confidentially.
I would like to compliment a team/individual for the service I have received. Can I do this through PALS?
Yes, please contact us to provide positive feedback and we will pass your comments on.
Can I change consultant or get a second opinion?
This is possible. You may wish to discuss this with or write to your current consultant. Alternatively, your GP may assist with the request if you talk to him or her. For further information or assistance please contact our PALS team.
I am not happy with aspects of my treatment. What can I do?
It’s important to make your doctor or clinical team aware of any concerns you have about your treatment. PALS is unable to advise on clinical matters but can liaise with clinicians on your behalf. For further information or assistance please contact our PALS team.
What's the difference between PALS and the complaints procedure?
PALS don’t investigate but focus on resolving issues, as well as dealing with questions, suggestions and concerns.
A formal complaint will be investigated following the NHS Complaints procedure. You will receive a full response to your complaint that should address all the points that you have raised.
Will my care be affected by contacting PALS or Formal Complaints?
The care you receive will not be adversely affected by speaking to PALS or raising a formal complaint.
Can I ask for information about the care and treatment of my relative?
The PALS team have a duty of confidentiality to our patients. This means that we will not share information about a patient without their permission to do so. This does not mean that we will not look into the concerns of relatives or friends about a patient’s care and treatment, but it does mean that we will not always be able to share the full results of your enquiry.