Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS FT Patient advice and liaison services (PALS)

Contact information

The Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS FT patient advice and liaison service (PALS) can be contacted through any member of staff or by using the details below.

Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays)

9am – 4pm

Freephone: 0800 052 0219

Text message: 077330 01221

Email: tewv.pals@nhs.net

We are always interested to hear from you

The Trust is always grateful to receive comments from patients, relatives and carers, about its services or about the care provided. We aim to deliver high-quality services.

Both positive and negative comments about services help us to do things better.

If you have a concern or wish to make a complaint, please bring it to someone’s attention as soon as possible to help us identify areas where we can improve our services.

How to tell us about your views

You can speak to a member of staff about the service you are receiving, for example a nurse, doctor, receptionist or manager.

If you are unhappy with the care or treatment provided, please tell us as soon as possible.

Most problems can be resolved by talking to the person responsible for your care or treatment.

If you are worried about something the sooner you tell us the sooner we can try to put thing right. If you do not feel comfortable about approaching this person directly ask to speak to the ward manager or modern matron, the consultant or locality manager.

Please do not be afraid to say what you think. If you bring concerns to our attention it will not affect your future treatment or care. The Trust has a policy of dealing with problems openly. We welcome all comments and will do everything possible to put things right

It helps if concerns can be raised as soon as possible to allow us to try and resolve them. We may not be able to investigate complaints made more than one year after the event complained about as we may not be able to carry out a thorough investigation.

Patient advice and liaison service (PALS)

As an alternative to speaking to staff about concerns, the PALS team aims to:

advise and support patients, their families and carers
signpost, providing information on NHS services and support available from other agencies
listen to your comments, concerns and complaints
help sort out problems quickly on your behalf.
PALS will liaise with staff, managers and where appropriate, relevant organisations, to negotiate solutions as soon as possible. If necessary, PALS can also refer patients and families to specific local or national-based support agencies.

Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS FT PALS can be contacted through any member of staff, on Freephone (0800 052 0219), via text (077330 01221) or email (tewv.pals@nhs.net). Staff are available Monday – Friday, between 9am and 4pm, excluding bank holidays.

Making a complaint

You may prefer to pursue your complaint in writing:

Complaints manager
Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS FT
Flatts Lane Centre
Flatts Lane
Normanby
Middlesbrough
TS6 0SZ

Email: tewv.complaints@nhs.net

How do we aim to resolve concerns raised?

We will:

agree the concerns you wish to be investigated
investigate these thoroughly and fairly
let you know when we will respond to your concern or complaint or if there is a delay
if there is a delay, we will keep you up-to-date with what’s happening
take action within the Trust to learn lessons and make any identified improvements to services.

Any information you provide is confidential and will be kept safely and securely. If we need to pass your information on to another member of staff, we will only do so with your consent or if we are worried about the safety of yourself or others.

If you are a relative, friend or representative of a patient, we cannot provide clinical information without the consent of the patient concerned.

We may need to review your clinical records as part of a thorough investigation into your complaint.

If you are not satisfied with the Trust’s response

The Trust aims to respond fully to your concern or complaint and will work with you to reach a satisfactory resolution.

However, if you’re not happy with how we’ve dealt with your complaint, and would like to take the matter further, you can contact the parliamentary and health service ombudsman. The ombudsman makes a final decision on unresolved complaints about the NHS in England. It is an independent service which is free for everyone to use.

To take your complaint to the Ombudsman:

Visit the parliamentary and health service ombudsman website.

Tel: 0345 015 4033

Seeking independent advice

Complaints advocacy services are independent organisations providing advice, assistance and support to people who have a concern or complaint about the National Health Service.

Their contact details are:

North East NHS ICA

Carers Federation
Tel. 0808 802 3000

North Yorkshire NHS complaints advocacy service

Cloverleaf Advocacy (Scarborough, Whitby, Ryedale, Hambleton and Richmondshire and Harrogate complaints).
Tel. 0300 012 4212

York advocacy

For residents in the City of York.
Tel. 01904 414357

East Riding of Yorkshire Cloverleaf Advocacy

Pocklington
Tel. 01482 880160

What if I want to take legal action against the Trust?

If you are considering taking legal action against the trust you should seek appropriate legal advice.

If you have a concern or complaint about your care that involves both the NHS and adult social care (your local authority) you can inform either organisation and you should receive a single co-ordinated response.