New PALS service officially opens at Rotherham Hospital

Based in the hospital’s main entrance, the service provides a point of contact for patients or relatives to seek advice or raise any concerns they may have about their care.

PALS aims to resolve issues at the point of contact before they escalate to complaints.

As well as helping with concerns, the PALS team is on hand to provide advice about services available.

PALS first opened its doors in August and has since gone on to help more than 538 people, 264 of which were in October.

It was officially opened by Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust Chair Dr Mike Richmond earlier this month (November).

Samantha Robinson, head of patient experience and engagement, said: “We have been making a lot of improvements to our patients’ experience over the past couple of years, and this has been reflected in the most recent CQC inpatient survey results.

“We understand the importance of listening to our patients and their families about their experiences, and the new PALS is an important part of this.

“Having a space that members of the public can see and visit helps us to listen to feedback and take any necessary action informally before a situation escalates.”

The PALS office is open 10am to 4pm, Monday to Friday.

Outside these hours, the patient experience team is available 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday by phone or email.

There is also the option to leave a voicemail after 5pm or over the weekend.