PALS Officer

Transformation Unit; Great Yarmouth; Hybrid; GBP 26,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a PALS Officer to join the Patient Advice and Liaison Service. The role is band 3, full-time (37.5 hours per week) with a permanent contract and may require 7-day service in the future, including some weekend work.

The post focuses on handling PALS enquiries, concerns and feedback from patients, carers and visitors, providing frontline support and signposting, and ensuring timely resolution where possible.

Qualifications

• Excellent communication skills and interpersonal handling with patients and staff.
• Proficient IT skills with databases and case management systems.
• Ability to respond to senior clinicians to reach resolution.
• Experience working in or with healthcare settings is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day PALS enquiries and concerns in person, by phone, and by email.
• Record all contacts and outcomes in the Trust’s risk management system (QSAFE).
• Provide non-clinical advice and practical support to patients, carers and visitors.
• Identify and escalate safety concerns where appropriate.
• Promote the PALS service and keep information up to date on the Trust website.

Skills

Excellent communication

IT skills with databases

Respond to senior clinicians

Work under pressure

Education

5 GCSEs including English

Communications skills training

Healthcare environment experience

Job description

Main area Corporate Services Grade NHS AfC: Band 3 Contract Permanent: 7 day service may be required Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (may move to seven days service - some weekend work may be required at later date) Job ref 177-CORP-8215419

Employer James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site James Paget Hopsital Town Great Yarmouth Salary £25,760 - £27,476 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 15/10/2026 23:59

PALS Officer

NHS AfC: Band 3

The James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust serves a population of around 250,000 people in the Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft and Waveney areas. The Trust provides an integrated hospital and community children’s service. Patient and staff experience is important to us and these are the behaviours we live by:

• Putting patients first
• Aiming to get it right
• Recognising that everybody counts
• Doing everything openly and honestly

‘Prior consideration will be given to NHS At Risk staff within East of England'

Job overview

The post holder will contribute to the operational management of Patient Advice and Liaison (PALS) enquiries and concerns received from patients and service users, in person, via telephone and via email. They will support facilitation of early resolution to queries and concerns and minimise the risk of enquiries escalating via the formal complaint route. The PALS Officer will act as the link between the patient/service user and staff members to enable resolution to be reached. The post is based within the Complaint and PALS team, which sits within the wider Patient Experience Team.

The post holder, along with team members, will be responsible for the day to day operational delivery of the service.

Main duties of the job

• To support the provision of a personal, visible and accessible Patient Liaison and Advice Service
• To receive concerns, compliments and feedback from patients, carers and visitors
• To accurately record all contacts, interventions and outcomes on to the Trust’s risk management system (QSAFE)
• To communicate with patients, carers and visitors either face to face, via email or by telephone to discuss their concerns and identify the best means of resolution
• To offer practical advice and support to patients, carers and visitors
• To be responsible for escalating a concern where patient safety is at risk
• To provide non-clinical advice to patients, carers and visitors
• To actively promote the Patient Advice and Liaison Service through the distribution of literature and ensuring that literature is kept up to date
• To contribute to ensuring that Trust website information about the service is up to date, and to add and amend information as necessary
• To contribute to the monitoring and analysis of themes and trends of enquiries and concerns.

Working for our organisation

We want to attract the best and brightest people to work with us and that means we will look after you from the moment you apply for a role at the Trust and throughout your career with us. Our staff are central to everything we do, and we believe that investing in you is crucial if we want to enable you to reach your full potential.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Band 3 PALS Officer required – 37.5 hours per week

An exciting opportunity has arisen within our Patient Advice and Liaison Services (PALS) Team.

Using empathy and compassion and, in accordance with data protection and confidentiality regulations, you will provide a frontline problem-solving and signposting service for patients, carers and visitors to the Trust, sometimes facing challenging discussions. You will be able listen to concerns raised and act quickly, liaising with Trust staff to find local resolution where possible, thus avoiding escalation to a formal complaint.

Excellent communication and customer service skills are required.

For more information, please contact Freya Meikle, Complaints and PALS Manager [e-mail]

Person specification

Qualifications

• 5 GCSEs or equivalent, including English to a high standard
• Communications skills training
• Working in a healthcare environment

Knowledge

• Working with members of the general public
• Working in a healthcare environment

Skills

• Excellent communication skills, including telephone communication
• IT skills, including working with databases
• Ability to respond to senior clinicians to reach a satisfactory resolution
• Ability to work under pressure and to strict timescales

James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust recognises the requirement to promote health and reduce ill-health. The Trust is committed to the principles of improving working lives through a number of initiatives such as job share, flexible working and the development of a culture of openness and transparency. The Trust is committed to ensuring that no job applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of their age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.

‘Prior consideration will be given to NHS At Risk staff within East of England'

Visa and Immigration

If you are applying for this role and would require visa sponsorship (including applicants currently in a sponsored post who wish to change employer), you should review the eligibility criteria set out by the Home Office on the gov.uk website:
https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/your-job

The statement included within this advert is intended to support applicants in assessing their individual circumstances against the Home Office criteria and to ensure transparency within the recruitment process.

However, meeting these criteria does not guarantee that sponsorship will be offered. The availability of a Certificate of Sponsorship is subject to local recruitment conditions, including the number and suitability of applicants and whether the role is considered hard to recruit to at the time of advertisement.

Accordingly, in situations where there is a sufficient pool of suitable candidates who do not require sponsorship, it is unlikely that sponsorship will be provided.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.