Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)

Listen, respond, liaise and resolve: We are a confidential advice, support and information service and welcome feedback about our services as we recognise the value that comments, concerns and compliments can provide. Your feedback assists us in developing better quality, higher standards of healthcare and improved experiences for all of our service users, carers and families.

Nottingham University Hospitals are committed to providing safe and high-quality care to all of our service users. If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of care or treatment we will work with you to understand your concerns and seek to resolve them to your satisfaction.

Contact PALS on: 0800 183 0204

Email: nuhnt.PALS@nhs.net

What can we do?

We can talk to senior staff on your behalf: PALS at Nottingham University Hospitals is an easy-to-access service, with a friendly team who are here to offer you advice and information and help if you are having difficulties with our services.

  • We can advise you and inform you how to make a formal complaint about our services
  • We can give you information about POhWER, the NHS complaints advocacy service
  • We can signpost you to other organisations, where necessary

Here in PALS, we will ensure that we work hard to:

  • Get it right
  • Be patient focused
  • Be open and honest
  • Put things right

When to use PALS?

If you have a concern about yourself or about a relative or friend in our care, we recommend that you raise your concerns first of all with the people who are providing the care for you or your relative. They will usually be best placed to help you and to put things right as soon as possible when they go wrong. If you want help with doing this, PALS can help you.  

If you remain dissatisfied after you have raised your concerns, and wish to make a formal complaint, please visit the complaints section of our website for information on how to do this.

If you have a question about your care or about Nottingham University Hospitals and do not know who to ask, PALS may also be able to help you.

How to access your health records

Freedom of Information requests

How to contact us

If you have a concern about yourself or about a relative or friend in our care, we recommend that you raise your concerns first of all with the people who are providing the care for you or your relative. They will usually be best placed to help you and to put things right as soon as possible when they go wrong. If you want help with doing this, PALS can help you. 

You can contact PALS by telephone on: 0800 183 0204

An answerphone is in operation during the following times:

  • When staff are speaking with another patient
  • When staff are taking a telephone call
  • Outside of office hours

Please leave a message and we will return your call as soon as possible.

You can also contact PALS:

  • From outside the UK Tel: 0115 924 9924 ext: 85412 and 82301
  • By email: You can send us an email at nuhnt.PALS@nhs.net. You can also use the contact form on our website to send us an email
  • If you are deaf or hard of hearing and would prefer to send us a text message, you can text us on: 07812 270 003

In person at Queen's Medical Centre. — Please accept our apologies as we currently have a very limited face-to-face service at the PALS office is on B Floor at Queen's Medical Centre. Please check the QMC PALS office door for more information and updates.

Other NHS organisations

It may be that you are experiencing difficulties or have concerns with other NHS organisations or other services involved in your care.  Although Nottingham University Hospitals PALS is unable to provide assistance in respect of these organisations, below are some contact details for local organisations which may be helpful.

  • GPs and dentists: NHS England Tel: 0300 3112233
  • Mental health services: Nottinghamshire Healthcare PALS Tel: 0115 9934542
  • Social care: please contact the local authority responsible for social care in your area.
  • East Midlands Ambulance Service PALS Tel: 0333 012 4216

Raising concerns to external organisations

If you feel your concern isn’t resolved through NUH’s own complaints process or you believe the issue involves matters outside the Trust’s responsibility, there are a number of external organisations you can contact for further support or to raise a concern. These organisations operate independently of NUH and can help you take your concern further if needed.

 

Arriva Transport – 0345 266 9662

NSL Transport – 0345 357 1556

Benefits advice — Includes eligibility, appeals, tax credits and Universal Credit

Citizens Advice Bureau — Each year, Citizens Advice helps give millions of people the knowledge and confidence to find a way forward.

General Medical Council — As one of a number of organisations responsible for keeping patients safe in the UK, they will help you find the right place to raise your concern. They look into concerns about doctors, physician associates (PAs) and anaesthesia associates (AAs) who work in the UK in the NHS or the independent or private sector.

Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) — If you believe that a nurse, midwife or nursing associate may be putting the public or patients at risk, report it to the NMC. They deal with the most serious issues and concerns about nurses, midwives and nursing associates.

Care Quality Commission (CQC) — Report a concern if you are a member of the public.

NHS England — Feedback and complaints about NHS services.

POhWER — They help people who, because of disability, illness, social exclusion and other challenges, find it difficult to express their views or get the support they need.