Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) Officer
What is the work like?
The Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) offers support, advice and information on NHS services to patients, their carers, the general public and hospital staff.
As a PALS officer, your duties could range from helping distressed patients understand the NHS complaints procedure to advising bereaved relatives on how to access support services. Your work could also include:
- giving advice with a view to resolving concerns about services or care
- liaising with staff, managers and support groups to find solutions to problems
- informing patients and the public about how they can get more involved in their own healthcare and with local NHS services
- listening to patients concerns, suggestions and experiences and raising these with people who design and manage services
- providing information about how to get independent help with a complaint.
As a senior PALS officer you could also manage the day-to-day running of the PALS service.
What qualifications and experience will employers look for?
For most PALS officer jobs, you will need previous experience in a customer care setting, including dealing with complaints. You will also need a good general standard of education – in some NHS Trusts this will mean GCSEs (A-C) in English and maths, with others you will need a degree-level qualification or similar, such as an NVQ Level 4.
It could be an advantage to have worked with vulnerable groups, such as children or mental health service users. It would also be useful to have experience in:
- the health, social care or voluntary sector
- advice, counselling or advocacy work.
A common entry route is through volunteering, particularly within the NHS. Some PALS services are staffed by a mixture of paid staff and volunteers. Contact the voluntary services coordinator or manager at your local NHS Trust for further advice.
You may be able to start as a PALS secretary or administrator and work your way up. A background in an area such as nursing could also be useful for getting into this work as a second career.
What further training and development can I do?
Your training would usually involve learning on the job alongside experienced staff. This would often include developing a good working knowledge of your NHS Trust and local support services, as well as specific complaints procedures and data protection issues.
You may also have the opportunity to take short courses run through your employer or external organisations in areas such as equality and diversity, advanced communication skills, managing difficult situations, and bereavement.
Where can I go for more information?
PO Box 376Bristol
BS99 3EY
Tel: 0845 606 0655
If you would like to discuss your career options with a learning adviser, call 0800 100 900 or use our online enquiry form
Alternatively, you can visit our website at: www.direct.gov.uk/careersadvice
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What salary and other benefits can I expect?
- PALS officers can earn between £17,300 and £20,800 a year.
- Senior PALS officers can earn around £26,200.
- Managers can earn up to £32,500.
Figures are intended as a guideline only.
What are the hours and working conditions?
You could be based in a hospital or the community (as part of a local Primary Care Trust (PCT)). Your working day could involve travelling across different sites within the NHS Trust.
You would normally cover 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. However, you may need to work outside of these hours to meet the demands of the job.
In this job, you would be dealing with a variety of emotional situations.
What skills and knowledge will I need?
- excellent listening and communication skills
- the ability to deal with complex and sensitive situations
- empathy and the ability to work closely with distressed patients and bereaved relatives
- a non-judgemental approach
- sensitivity and resilience
- mediation skills
- the ability to train others
- an understanding of the issues surrounding confidentiality
- team working skills and the ability to work alone
- good IT skills.
What opportunities are there?
You will find most job opportunities within hospitals, ambulance services and in the community with Primary Care Trusts.
With experience, you could progress to senior PALS officer or PALS service manager. Alternatively, you could move into other healthcare management jobs in hospitals, health authorities and NHS Trusts.
Jobs may be advertised in the local and national press, Jobcentre Plus, in health service journals and on the NHS Jobs website.
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