Patient experience (PALS)

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Patient experience feedback & learning from our patients

We hope that your experiences of NHS services is a good one, but we realise that sometimes we may not always get it right.  Whether your experience were good or bad we would like to hear from you so we can continually review our services to improve patient care.

There are many different ways that we currently hear how you feel about the services you receive.  You may be aware of the various patient surveys that we ask patients to complete periodically, such as at your GP practice, or the Patient Experience Trackers you may have seen on a visit to a hospital recently.

The following information will provide further details on how you can inform us of your comments, compliments or complaints.

Compliments

Please let us know if you have received a good experience from the NHS by writing or emailing to the PALS team at the addresses below.  We use all compliments to promote good practice across our services.

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)

PALS offer:

  • Help to sort out problems quickly on your behalf
  • Information on services available locally, both NHS and other agencies and         how to access them
  • Guidance on the formal complaints procedure if your problem is not resolved to your satisfaction
  • A listening ear to suggestions and ideas to help us improve services

Confidentiality

PALS is a completely confidential service and we will not speak to anyone about you or the issues raised without your permission.  Your enquiry will remain anonymous, but in order to ensure all concerns are brought to the attention of the correct NHS staff to enable service improvement, we keep confidential records of all enquiries.

How to contact PALS

Office hours - Monday to Friday 9.00am - 5.00pm

  • Direct line – 01707 369699 or 01707 369704 (both with confidential answer phone)
    If you telephone outside office hours, or if we are already speaking to someone on the telephone your call will be automatically switched to our confidential answer phone.  Please leave your name, telephone number and a short message and we will aim to return your call as soon as we can within two working days.
  • Email – This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
  • You can also write to PALS at:
    Charter House
    Parkway
    Welwyn     Garden     City
    Herts
    AL8 6JL

Who can make a Complaint?

Patients, relatives, or their representatives can make a complaint.

If you are making a complaint on behalf of another person over the age of 16, you will be sent a consent form by the complaints team. The signed consent indicates the patient's agreement that their personal information can be shared with you.  Please note that we cannot disclose confidential information about a patient to a third party without the patient's written consent.

How to make a complaint

  • In writing (letter or email)

Please address your concerns to NHS Hertfordshire. On receipt of your letter you will be contacted by a member of the complaints team either by post, or if you provided us with a telephone number you will be contacted by telephone.  The complaints team will discuss with you how you want your complaint handled and agree a way forward.

If your complaint relates to hospital services, please contact the hospital concerned. If your concern relates to your doctor or dentist, please contact the surgery in the first instance.

If you are unsure who to make your complaint to, please telephone PALS for advice.

What are the timescales for complaints?

  • Complaints are acknowledged within three working days from receipt
  • The person making the complaint can discuss and agree the timescale for the response with the complaints team
  • In most cases a response to your complaint will be forwarded to you with 25 working days
  • Complaints can be made within 12 months of the event occurring or within 12 months of when the patient (or their family) realised they had cause for complaint.

How to Contact the Complaints Team -

  • Please write to:
    Charter House
    Parkway
    Welwyn     Garden     City
    Herts
    AL8 6JL
  • Or telephone: 01707 369697
  • Or e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

We can reassure you that any complaint that you may lodge will not affect any future treatment that you may receive.

There is an independent complaints advocacy service (ICAS) in Hertfordshire, which provides free and confidential support for people going through the complaints process.  ICAS can be contacted on 0845 4561082 or by visiting www.pohwer.net

Quotes from patients about our PALS and Complaints teams:

  • To the PALS team: “May I express my thanks to the PALS service to whom both my husband and I spoke to. The PALS Officer was very helpful and her assistance in enabling my husband and I to transfer to a new surgery is very much appreciated.”
  • To the PALS team “Just a short letter of sincere thanks for your time and effort on my behalf to date, it’s greatly appreciated, and I realise you have done as much as you can to resolve matters quickly.
  • To the complaints team “I would like to compliment the complaints team for their friendly and efficient way in which they handled my problems and for the advice they gave me.”
  • To the complaints team: “I am writing to thank you for all the help I have received concerning my complaint of the care I received.”