Our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) is a confidential service that provides help, advice and information for patients, families and carers. It covers Salford Royal Hospital, The Royal Oldham Hospital, Rochdale Infirmary and Fairfield General Hospital.
If you’d like to tell us about your experience, give thanks or comment on what we did well, please use this contact form.
BSL only text reply: 07812 775905.
Alternatively, you might like to publish your feedback or leave a review of our services on the NHS website.
Or you can get in touch with PALS who are committed to:
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helping our patients and families find answers to questions or concerns regarding their care or treatment;
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providing patients and carers with information, advice or support;
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helping to resolve concerns quickly by liaising with staff and managers;
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referring our patients and carers on to external agencies or specialist advocacy services, where appropriate.
How to contact:
Call: 0161 778 5665 between 09:30 hours and 16:30 hours Monday to Friday or drop into one of the PALS offices on each hospital site.
Email: pals@nca.nhs.uk
BSL only text reply: 07812 775905
Or you can write to: PALS & Complaints Department
Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust
Unit 7-8 Whitney Court Hamilton Street
Southlink Business Park Oldham
OL4 1DB
PALS office locations
These are located in the following places:
- The Royal Oldham Hospital - The PALS Office is located at the Main Entrance to the hospital.
- Fairfield General Hospital - The PALS Office is located at the Main Entrance to the hospital.
- Rochdale Infirmary - The PALS Office is located in the out-patient department
- Salford Royal – Office by the main entrance or main reception desk in the Hope building
Telephone: 0161 656 1141
Text reply: 07812775905
Email: office.complaints@nca.nhs.uk
In writing:
PALS & Complaints Department
Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust
Unit 7-8
Whitney Court
Hamilton Street
Southlink Business Park
Oldham
OL4 1DB
Our friendly PALS team is here to help
Understanding the NHS and all its complexities can be daunting and finding answers can sometimes be difficult.
The PALS team are here to listen carefully to your enquiry or concern, working closely with our staff who have direct contact with patients, their families and carers to quickly resolve the issue.
The care you receive will not be affected by speaking to PALS or raising a complaint.
What to do first
If you have a current problem or issue relating to your clinical care and treatment, you should always talk to your consultant, nurse or other staff in the ward/department/clinic. They’re the best people to help in the first instance.
If they can’t resolve the problem for you, you’re welcome to contact PALS.
PALS services include:
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providing you with information and confidential advice about the Trust, helping with any other health-related enquiry and offering the opportunity to ask any questions;
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helping you to clarify your problems and look at the options available to resolve them;
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giving you details of places where further health information can be obtained;
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providing information about the NHS complaints procedure and advice about making a formal complaint if this is necessary;
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advising you about the role of independent advocacy services and how to contact them;
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helping the Trust to improve services by listening to what matters to patients, their relatives and carers, and making changes when appropriate.
PALS cannot provide advocacy, counselling, 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. Please see the complaints section below for more information.
Dealing with Complaints
The Northern Care Alliance is committed to providing a service which is patient centred and delivers excellent care. Unfortunately, sometimes things can go wrong with your care, and on these occasions, we welcome your suggestions on how we can improve services and provide care which better reflects your needs. The NCA will not discriminate against any individual as a result of making a complaint.
Who can complain?
A complainant can be a person affected or likely to be affected by the actions or decisions of an NHS organisation, providing NHS services or treatments. A complaint can also be made on behalf of a patient once their written consent has been obtained.
As many problems can be resolved by talking things over, we would suggest that in the first instance you tell the person in charge of the ward or department or the Consultant responsible for your care of your worry or problem. If they can help, they will be happy to do so.
Anyone can make a complaint about the NHS services or treatment they have received. If you are making a complaint on the behalf of someone else, written consent may be needed.
Switchboard
- Salford: 0161 789 7373
- Oldham, Rochdale and Fairfield: 0161 624 0420
Interpreters
0161 627 8770
Service.Interpretation@nca.nhs.uk
British Sign Language (BSL) - to book text 07966 003540 with your name, hospital number, venue and date.
British Sign Language
This video is for people who use British Sign Language (BSL) and provides details on what PALS do and how they can be contacted.
There is no sound.
The full transcript is available.
If this video fails to load then please use this alternative hosting on YouTube.