Patient Advice & Liaison Officer (PALS)

NHS; London; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 44,000; Full time

Job summary

An exciting opportunity exists for two PALS Officers at the Royal London Hospital. These roles involve providing support and guidance to patients and families, addressing concerns, and enhancing patient experience through effective communication and collaboration with various hospital teams.

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level or equivalent.
• Significant experience in acute hospital organisations.
• Knowledge of Data Protection and NHS complaint procedures.

Responsibilities

• Handle patient and carer enquiries with compassion.
• Address concerns and complaints proactively.
• Gather and analyse feedback to improve patient experience.

Skills

Communication

Problem Solving

Customer Service

Education

Degree level or equivalent

Project management qualification

Counselling qualification

Job description

Job summary

We have an exciting opportunity for two PALS Officers to join the Governance Team at the Royal London Hospital. These roles are based at the Royal London but support the PALS service across both Royal London and Mile End Hospitals, offering advice, support, and guidance to patients, relatives, carers, and visitors.

About the Role

As a PALS Officer, you will:

1. Handle patient, relative, and carer enquiries, offering clear and compassionate guidance.
2. Address concerns and complaints proactively, working with hospital divisions to resolve issues and improve patient care.
3. Liaise with clinical and non-clinical teams to ensure concerns are resolved promptly and feedback is communicated effectively.
4. Signpost patients and families to appropriate hospital services, community resources, and support services.
5. Gather and analyse feedback from patients and families to improve patient experience and identify service improvements.
6. Ensure patients and families have access to clear, accurate, and accessible information about hospital services.
7. Maintain accurate and confidential records of all interactions in line with governance requirements.
8. Support the implementation of patient experience initiatives aimed at improving the overall hospital service.

Main duties of the job

The PALS Office role is integral to providing an accessible service to assist patients and carers with enquiries and concerns involving Trust services. The PALS Office acts as a facilitator, working closely with staff and managers to resolve concerns efficiently, advise on NHS complaints procedures, and promote service improvement by feeding back patient and carer views.

The post-holder will work within the Site Governance Team under the leadership of the Patient Advice and Liaison Team lead to deliver a high-quality, responsive, patient-centered service for all users.

About us

Barts Health is one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, renowned for excellence and innovation, and committed to providing safe, compassionate care.

Our vision is to be a high-performing group of NHS hospitals, known for safety, quality, and being an outstanding place to work, guided by our WeCare values and promoting inclusion and diversity.

Details

Date posted: 19 May 2025

Pay scheme: Agenda for change

Band: Band 5

Salary: £35,964 to £43,780 a year inc

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: Full-time

Reference number: 259-7222647RLH

Job locations: Royal London Hospital, London, E1 1FR

Job description

The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience, and knowledge required. Please view the attachment(s) below for detailed documents.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Essential: Educated to degree level or equivalent

• Desirable: Project management qualification or training, certificated counselling qualification or training, Mediation diploma, Conflict resolution accredited training

Experience

• Essential: Significant experience in acute hospital organisations; experience in counselling, PALS, customer service, or front-facing work with patients/public

• Desirable: Experience in other health/social care sectors; NHS complaint process; collaborative work with health/social care professionals

Knowledge

• Essential: Knowledge of Data Protection, safeguarding legislation, NHS complaint procedures, equality and diversity legislation, IT systems, risk identification, and problem-solving skills

• Desirable: Knowledge of governance processes including complaints, risk, and patient safety

Additional information

This post is subject to DBS check and requires a Certificate of Sponsorship for visa purposes. Further details are available on the UK Visas and Immigration website.

Employer details

Employer: Barts Health NHS Trust

Address: Royal London Hospital, London, E1 1FR

Website: https://www.bartshealth.nhs.uk