PATIENTS and relatives who want support, advice or information about their treatment, or to discuss concerns about care, are now being welcomed to an improved area at Basildon Hospital.
The Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) has moved next to the restaurant and the multi-faith prayer room, a few steps away from main reception. The new office includes a side room with comfortable seating, where visitors can ask questions or discuss their concerns in complete privacy with a member of the PALS team.
Senior Nurse for PALS Rachel Webster said: “We are very pleased to be offering patients, relatives and carers a more homely, welcoming environment in a part of the hospital that is much easier to reach.
“We always want to hear about anything that could help us improve the care of our patients. There may be something that we can do straight away to answer a concern. If we can’t solve a problem immediately we can support and advise people about the next steps to take.”
Rachel has been a nurse since 1978, and has worked at the Trust for the past 20 years. She still carries out occasional nursing shifts. “I think I have the best job in the world; I am passionate about patient care and I see this as a goldmine of opportunity to learn from what patients and carers tell us and improve our services.”
The PALS office is open from 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday. The team go out and about visiting patients on wards, so there may be unavoidable occasions when the office is not staffed during these times. If it is closed, visitors are asked to wait if they can, or contact PALS by telephone or email, and the team will respond as quickly as possible.”
To contact the PALS team, call 01268 394440 or email pals@btuh.nhs.uk 
