Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)

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Contents

1. What PALS cannot do
2. If you have a concern
3. Patient Advice and Liaison Service contact details
4. Other services who may be able to help you

Listening to our patients, their carers and relatives helps us improve the services we provide.

We are here to listen, so we can learn from your experience. It is also beneficial when we receive feedback when things have gone well or not so well, so that we can build on good practice and continue to make improvements.

If you are not happy with the care you, your relative or friend are receiving then please let us know. If there is something that can be done straight away, we will do it.  We want to resolve any issues you might have by talking to the right person at the earliest possible time.
 
All staff are here to help and are happy to listen to your comments and concerns. First of all, we would suggest that you speak with the nurse or manager in charge of the area your loved one is or has been receiving care.

What PALS cannot do

• Provide medical records - Please make a formal request. If you are unable to request medical records online, please contact the Request for Information (RFI) at ngh-tr.mraccess@nhs.net or Tel: 01604 545279

• Provide test results - Please contact your GP or referring/requesting physician

• Speed up appointments - Please contact your GP or referring/requesting physician

• Override clinical decisions - Please escalate your enquiry within the department you are being treated

• PALS is not an emergency service, if you have concerns regarding your medical health, please contact your GP or call the NHS on 111.

If you have a concern

If the concerns is for an inpatient and it is urgent, in the first instance, please speak with the Ward Manager of the area the concern is based. You can find the ward telephone number in the Northampton General Hospital ward telephone directory.

If the concern is not urgent and you require further assistance, please contact PALS by telephone 01604 545784 (with a voicemail service) or by email ngh-tr.pals@nhs.net  and we will endeavour to best support you. 

PALS will try to acknowledge an enquiry within a 10 day period. However, please note in times of high capacity and operational pressures our response time may be delayed slightly. PALS would like to apologise for any inconvenience or distress this may cause. 

You can read more information on concerns and complaints on the NGH website.

When contacting PALS please include the following information with the enquiry:

• Patient's full name

• Patient's date of birth

• First line of their address and postcode

• Patient's hospital number or NHS number (if you know it)

If you are enquiring on someone else's behalf, please also include:

• Consent from the patient as it may be required before the enquiry can proceed.

• Your name and contact details

• How to give a compliment or comment

• How to make a complaint

Patient Advice and Liaison Service contact details

Location

Our office is located in Area R of the hospital.

From the South entrance, turn left onto the Hospital Street corridor. Proceed all the way to the end of Hospital Street. Take a right turn and follow the corridor as it slopes upwards past the Oncology department. Bear left as the corridor turns and the PALS office is immediately on your left. 

From the Billing Road entrance, proceed along the corridor until you reach a T-junction. Turn left and continue up the corridor. The PALS office is on the left just before the corridor bears right. 

Click here for the hospital map

Other services who may be able to help you

Access to Medical Records

To request access to your medical records, please complete a subject access request.  More information can be found on our webpage Subject Access Request -  which includes request Portal 

Tel:01604 545279

Email: ngh-tr.mraccess@nhs.net

Northampton General Hospital Bereavement Service

For more information on this service can be found on our webpage Bereavement Service | Northampton General Hospital NHS 

Volunteer Services

If you have some free time, you could make a difference across Kettering and Northampton general hospitals and become a valued colleague of the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire.  You can find more on volunteering at our hospitals on our website Volunteering at Northampton General Hospital

Email:ngh-tr.volunteer.services@nhs.net

Tel: 01604 523159

Northamptonshire Carers, supporting unpaid carers

University Hospitals of Northamptonshire, have Carer Support Workers in both Northampton and Kettering General Hospitals. They aim to support unpaid carers while they or their cared for people are in either hospital. 

Tel: 01536 493622 for the Kettering General Hospital Team

Tel: 01604 544274  for the Northampton General Hospital Team

Local Councils Adult Social Care 

North Northamptonshire Council http://www.northnorthants.gov.uk/adult-social-care

and

West Northamptonshire Council http://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/arranging-adult-care/contact-adult-social-care

Veteran and Armed Forces Support

As a Veteran Aware accredited hospital, support is available for serving and former members of the Armed Forces and their families.

You can read more on how the hospitals supports the Armed Forces Community and Cadets.

Email: kgh-tr.Veterans@nhs.net for support of a patient

Email: ngh-tr.armedforces@nhs.net for support through our recruitment process  

POhWER,  advocacy, information and advice charity

If you find it difficult to understand your care or how to put your concern or a complaint in writing, POhWER can help you do this.  They can also help with NHS Complaints Advocacy, Independent Mental Health Advocacy  and Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy.

Tel: 0300 456 2370

East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) 

If your concern or complaint which relates to the East Midlands Ambulance Service.
Email: emas.pals@nhs.net

Tel: 0333 012 4216

Kettering General Hospital (KGH) Patient Advice and Liaison Service PALS)

If the concern or complaint relates to Kettering General Hospital services, please contact the KGH PALS team:
Email: kgh-tr.pals@nhs.net

Tel: 01536 493305 (with a voicemail service)

Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust (NHFT) Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)

If the concern or complaint relates to Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust, community or mental health services, please contact the NHFT PALS team:
Email: PALS@nhft.nhs.uk

Tel: 0800 917 8504 or 03000 273 708

Northants Integrated Care Board (ICB)

If your concern or complaint relates to GP, Dental, Optician or Pharmacy services please contact the Northants ICB:
Email: northantsicb.patientexperience@nhs.net

Tel: 01604 476777

Mental Health Support

Mental Health support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from partners Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust and Mind.
Tel: 0800 448 0828

Individuals can also access the mental health number by calling 111 and selecting the mental health option to access mental health support, this option will connect you to local service in the area you are calling from. If you or anyone you know is in need of mental health support, find out more about services available locally at www.nhft.nhs.uk/help