PALS

How we can help

We recognise that coming to hospital can sometimes be difficult and we’re here to help if you need it.

PALS can help patients or their relatives and carers by:

• providing information about services both here at the Trust and other organisations
• contacting the departments in the hospital on your behalf
• listening to any concerns you may have and helping to resolve them
• passing on your feedback and compliments to staff
• advising how you can make a complaint

If you have any issues or concerns about your care, it’s always best to first speak to the person in charge of the ward or department. If you’re not happy with their response, then please do get in touch with PALS.

Where to find PALS

The PALS team can be reached by email or phone. You can also complete a contact form.

Alternatively you can visit the teams in our hospitals. Our contact numbers and locations are:

Making a formal complaint

For those wishing to make a formal complaint about their care, the NHS Complaints Standard was published by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman on 30th March 2021 and sets out how organisations providing NHS services should approach complaint handling.

An effective complaint handling system promotes a culture that is open and accountable when things do not go as they should. It creates an environment where staff feel supported and empowered to learn when things do not go as expected, rather than feeling blamed. It uses learning to improve its services and makes sure every member of staff knows their role in promoting a just and learning culture. It puts in place clear ways to demonstrate how the organisation uses learning to improve.

A formal complaint can be made in writing to the Chief Executive at:

The Chief Executive
University Hospitals Sussex Headquarters
The Washington Suite, Worthing Hospital
Lyndhurst Road
Worthing
BN11 2DH

Or by completing this complaint form and emailing to: uhsussex.patient.experience@nhs.net.

A complaint may be made by a patient or a person acting on behalf of a patient who has received treatment at the Trust. Where the complainant is acting on behalf of the patient, verbal or written consent must be obtained from the patient before investigations are undertaken and a response made.

The complaints team will contact the complainant with the relevant consent documentation.  Please follow this link for the consent form.  Where the patient is a child (under the age of 16), a complaint may be made by the parent or legal guardian. Where the patient does not have capacity, the complaint may be made on their behalf by their nominated next of kin. Where the patient has died, the complaint may be made by any person demonstrating that they are acting on behalf of the deceased.

If a patient is still not happy with the response provided by the Trust, they can ask the independent Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman to look at your complaint.

Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP

Phone: 0345 015 4033.

If you need independent help to make a complaint, you can contact the Independent Health Complaints Advocacy Service (IHCAS) in your area. IHCAS can help by supporting you through the process and representing your wishes and feelings. They will help you explore the options for taking your complaint forward. IHCAS can also provide help with interpreters if there are language difficulties. You can contact your local IHCAS – see below:

• Brighton and Hove – POhWER: 0300 456 2370 or email: pohwer@pohwer.net
• West Sussex IHCAS: 0300 012 0122 or email: ihcas@healthwatchwestsussex.co.uk
• East Sussex – The Advocacy People – 0330 440 9000 Email: info@theadvocacypeople.org.uk