Patient Advice and Liaison Service Officer

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) Officers offer confidential advice, support and information on health-related matters. You will provide a point of contact for patients, their families and their carers.

The role of a Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) Officers is very varied and you will be involved in a wide range of support situations. For example helping with health related questions, resolving concerns or problems a person might be having with NHS services and providing guidance on how to become more involved in your own healthcare. As a Patient Advice and Liaison Officer you will provide information about the NHS, the NHS complaints procedure, including how to get independent help if you want to make a complaint and support groups outside the NHS.

Patient Advice and Liaison Service Officer is also known as PALS Officer, Advisor, Guidance Officer.

Role Characteristics

Help patients understand the NHS complaints procedure
Work with staff, managers and support groups to solve problems
Provide information about local services, including voluntary and statutory agencies
Provide high quality guidance and support to Directorates on resolving complaints and concerns
Run PALS surgeries on wards and at other locations where services are delivered, to listen to patients about any concerns and to try and resolve these
Supervise and coordinate PALS volunteers

Skills

Active listening
Advice giving
Communication
Customer service
Problem-solving
Working with groups

Day in the life

Watch this video to learn about the role of Patient Advice and Liaison Service.

Routes into this role

Here are some example routes that can lead into this role.

Volunteering or work experience

GCSEs

An apprenticeship

How to become

There are many routes into becoming a Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) Officer; these include an apprenticeship in Patient Liaison or Customer Service, volunteering or work experience.

Employers may expect GCSEs in English and maths or a qualification in customer services. You could complete the training when you are working however some form of customer service experience is essential. You could work as a Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) Administrator to gain experience of the field and progress into the Officer role.

You could gain additional experience through a volunteering, work experience, an apprenticeship or from your personal life.

Where can this role lead

No matter what role you start in or where you are in your career path, there are always opportunities to develop and progress in health and care.

With experience and further study you could progress within the PALS team and move to a more senior job, like Senior PALS Officer, PALS Service Manager, Complaints and PALS Manager or a Team Manager.