PALS - Patient Advice and Liaison Service 

Our Patient Relations Team provides on the spot help, advice and support when and where you need it.

The team can support people using WWL services, either as an inpatient or outpatient, as well as their carers and families.

If your concerns relate to care or treatment provided by another Trust, Organisation or a GP surgery you will need to contact them directly.


Your Local Service

• What Can Patient Relations Offer You?

  PALS can offer you:

  • Help to sort out any problems or concerns you have about your contact with the NHS
  • Information and support about local health services
  • Listen to your comments, compliments, concerns and complaints 
  • Give assistance to contact independent advocacy services in your area if you would like support to make a complaint
  • An opportunity to take part in the development of your local NHS service
  • A free and confidential advice and support service 

  What PALS Cannot offer

  PALS cannot provide advocacy, diagnosis or medical advice

  However, they can speak on your behalf to the people that provide these services. PALS can contact clinical staff and departments to obtain information or investigate your concerns. The information or outcome will be relayed verbally by either the service teams or PALS.  

  PALS do not provide detailed written responses to concerns or complaints. If you wish to receive a written response, we will deal with this via our complaints procedure. 

• How do I Contact the Patient Relations Team?

  By phone: Patient Relations (Hospital) 0300 707 2376
  By email: patient.relations@wwl.nhs.uk

  Please note if the team are helping other families, they may not be able to answer the telephone and you may need to leave a voicemail. We will return your call as soon as we are able to.
  
  or Write to us at:
  
  The Patient Relations Department (PALS and Complaints)                                                
  Wrightington Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
  Wigan Lane
  Wigan
  Lancashire
  WN1 2NN

  Patient Relations/PALS Service opening hours

  Monday - Friday from 9am - 4pm.
  An answer phone is available outside these hours.

  If you feel your concern cannot wait, please contact swichboard on 01942 244 000 and ask to speak to the duty matron.

  Please tell us if you need additional communication support relating to a disability, impairment or sensory loss.

  Speaking to us by phone if you are deaf or hard of hearing

  Relay can be used to help those affected by hearing loss or are hard of hearing make phone calls. Please see the links below.

  Relay UK – Apps on Google Play

                  Speaking to us by phone if you're deaf or hard of hearing - Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust (nlg.nhs.uk)

  Further information relating to PALS and the service we can provide can be found in our BSL video on our main PALS page.

• Concerns about a GP or other NHS Trusts

  Any concerns relating to a GP can be addressed with the GP practice or you can contact The Wigan Integrated Care Partnership Board

  Email: public@wiganboroughccg.nhs.uk

  Telephone: 01942 482711

  If your concern is about another NHS Trust which does not fall under the remit of Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, details of how you can contact their PALs team can usually be found on their website or by telephoning their switchboard and asking to be put through to the PALs team. 

  For concerns relating to the North-West Ambulance Services (NWAS) please use the following details

  Telephone: 0345 112 0999

  Or visit their website: www.nwas.nhs.uk/contact-us

  For concerns relating to Mental Health services please use the following details and contact Greater Manchester Mental Health

  Telephone: 0800 587 4793

  Email: customercare@gmmh.nhs.uk

• My Message to My Loved One

  Share a message with your loved one in hospital

  We know it is important for our patients to keep in contact with family and friends. For various reasons, families and friends are not always able to visit their loved ones in hospital. Therefore, we have a dedicated email address enabling family and friends to send a message to a loved one.

  Please provide the following information to ensure your message reaches your loved one:

  • Your name
  • The patients name (in full)
  • Ward (if known)

  When can I send a message?

  Messages can be sent anytime by email and they will be collated daily from Monday to Friday.

  What happens to my message when I've sent it?

  The message will be delivered to the ward looking after your loved one.

  To do this, please email MyMessageTo.MyLovedOne@wwl.nhs.uk with your message.

• Useful contacts

  If you are looking to contact a particular ward or department, please use the search directory below.

  Access to records

  The Access to Health Records office provides a confidential and secure service enabling patients and relatives to apply for copies of medical records. In order to discuss your requirements or make an application, please contact the team using the details below.

  Telephone: 01942 822541

  Email: AccessToHealthRecords.RAEI@wwl.nhs.uk

  Legal services

  The legal services team can advise on claims and reimbursement, please contact the team using the details below.

  Email: LegalServices@wwl.nhs.uk

  Legal Services Department

  Trust HQ

  Royal Albert Edward Infirmary

  Wigan Lane

  Wigan

  WN1 2NN

   

• Communication Support

    

  Interpreter services

  For assitance in other languages or for BSL interpreter services, please contact a member of staff who can arrange this for you.

  For information in an accessible format relating to how the PALS team can assist you, please access our BSL video on our main page.

  Ask Listen Do- Communication support for patients with a disability

  We need you to tell us if you need additional communication support relating to a disability. This will allow us to provide you with the support you need when using our services.

  For information and resources to support people with a learning disability, autism or both to provide feedback, raise a concern or make a complaint, our leaflets are available in different formats for example easy read. You may also find the link below to Speakup useful to access for self advocacy.

  Ask, Listen, Do | Speakup Main Website

   

Links and information for Carers

At Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (the trust) we value the work done by carers and are committed to working together with them as expert partners in care. We want to promote a culture that recognises carers  within our hospitals.

For information or support please contact 

https://www.wlcccarers.com/

Tel: 01942 705959

For more information on our Carers Passport: /media/corporate/Carer%20Passport%20Information%20Leaflet.pdf