Patient advice and liaison service (PALS)

The patient advice liaison service (PALS) is a confidential service offering support and advice to patients, families and carers. You can find our offices close to both Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospital main entrances. If you cannot find us, reception staff can show you where we are. 

When to contact PALS

If you need advice and support about your hospital experience or care, PALS can:

  • pass positive comments on to staff

  • listen to any problems you may have, offer advice and solutions

  • talk through your issue and help you decide what to do next 

  • arrange meetings with the right member of staff who can answer your questions 

  • accompany you to meetings 

  • put you in touch with other services, both in and out of our hospitals, who can help you

  • advise you how to make a formal complaint if you need to

Things you can talk to us about

You can talk to PALS about anything regarding your hospital experience but there are some areas we often get asked about. Although we can't cover them all, here are some of the main ones: 

Patient confidentiality

If you have concerns about consent and confidentiality, find out more

Health records

We can only provide you with health records held by Royal Brompton and Harefield. If you need records held by another Trust, or your GP, please contact them directly.  

To obtain records held by Royal Brompton and Harefield you will need to complete an access to health records request form and return it to us. If you are accessing records on behalf of a patient, the consent form will need to be completed by the patient or their next of kin if the patient is not in a position to consent. Find out more about accessing your health records and requesting a form. 

Getting a second opinion

If you would like a second opinion, please ask your GP or consultant to refer you to another specialist, either within the Trust or in a different hospital.

Writing a Will 

If you wish to write or update your Will, this should be done somewhere other than the hospital where you are in a position to give it full consideration. Members of staff are not legally allowed to help patients write a Will, or witness the signing of one. General advice and guidance on writing a Will is available on the government website, GOV.UK, or you can instruct a solicitor. 

Independent advice

Independent advice about a range of matters, including benefits and social issues is available from:

  • the Patients' Association offers advice on health matters
  • POhWER is a complaints advocacy service which provides help with the formal complaints process
  • Action against medical accidents (AvMA) is a charity providing free, confidential advice and support to people affected by medical accidents
  • Age UK offers advice to people over the age of 60
  • Scope is a charity which supports disabled people and their families 
  • Mencap is the UK’s leading charity for people with learning disabilities
  • and gender reassignment.
  • Action Disability Kensington & Chelsea (ADKC) work to enhance opportunities for disabled people (with physical, sensory and hidden impairments), living or working in the Kensington and Chelsea

The Equality and Human Rights Commission can also provide advice, specifically about equality-related issues, including the nine ‘protected’ characteristics, which include: age, disability, gender, race, religion and belief, pregnancy and maternity, marriage and civil partnership, sexual orientation

Contact PALS

Find out more about how to visit, call, email or write to us. 

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