What is PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service)?

The Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) offers confidential advice, support and information on health-related matters.

They provide a point of contact for patients, their families and their carers.

You can find PALS in your local hospital.

How can PALS help?

PALS provides help in many ways. For example, it can:

• help you with health-related questions
• help resolve concerns or problems when you're using the NHS
• tell you how to get more involved in your own healthcare

PALS can give you information about:

• the NHS
• the NHS complaints procedure, including how to get independent help if you want to make a complaint
• support groups outside the NHS

PALS also helps to improve the NHS by listening to your concerns and suggestions.

How do I contact my nearest PALS?

You can find your nearest PALS office on the NHS website.

You can also ask your GP surgery, hospital or phone NHS 111 for details of your nearest PALS.

Making a complaint

If you're not happy with an NHS service, you can make a complaint.

You can complain to the person or organisation providing the service, such as the GP, dentist, hospital or pharmacist.

Or you can complain to the commissioner of that service. Contact your local integrated care board (ICB) for complaints about:

• primary care services, such as GPs, dentists, opticians or pharmacy services
• secondary care services, such as hospital care, mental health services, out of hours services, NHS 111 and community services such as district nursing

Further information

• NHS England: Feedback and complaints about NHS services
• NHS England: get involved in the NHS