PALS Making a Difference Engaging Learning Communities 9 th March 2004 National PALS Development Group Jenny CollinsChair Phone : extn Pam SorensenVice-Chair Phone :

PALS – Working to nationally agreed core standards Department of Health Core Standards Revised in July The PALS service is identifiable and accessible to patients, their carers, friends and families 2. PALS will be seamless across health and social care 3. PALS will be sensitive and provide a confidential service that meets individual needs 4. PALS will have systems that make their findings known as part of routine monitoring in order to facilitate change

PALS – Working to nationally agreed core standards Continued 5.PALS enables people to access information about Trust services and information about health and social care issues 6. PALS plays a key role in bringing about culture change in the NHS, placing patients at the heart of service planning and delivery 7. PALS will actively seek the views of service users, carers and the public to ensure effective services More information on Department of Health Website At : Click on Policy and Guidance – then Click on Patient Choice then click on Patient Advice & Liaison Services

PALS - Empowering patients to make changes  Hertfordshire PALS – working with a group of patients around ME/CFS  Peterborough PALS – Cancer Patients Involvement Group  Countrywide – PALS are involving patients in the delivery of staff training

PALS - Working across organisational boundaries  County Durham – Joint publicity and promotional activities  Hampshire PALS - Patients wanting to die at home  Bury PALS – Bereavement & cancelling transport  Cambridge PALS Network – Protocol for enquiries  North of Tyne, Bradford, Lincolnshire - PALS covering more than one type of Trust or working together to provide an integrated service  Peterborough – Monthly PALS Induction Sessions for staff from all Statutory and Voluntary Services

PALS - Supporting front line staff  Hampshire & Peterborough Customer Care in the NHS Toolkit  Cambridge PCT PALS – Improving communication around hospital discharge  Hampshire –New session on Junior Doctors Training  Peterborough – PALS working with specific multi disciplinary teams to help them resolve issues i.e. ultrasound

PALS - Supporting the expert patient programme  PALS helping to promote EPP to enquirers  PALS helping to promote EPP through PALS Outreach  PALS involved in running courses  PALS collecting feedback from the courses  PALS encouraging participants to become involved in other Patient and Public Involvement activities

PALS - Promoting wider patient & public involvement  Countrywide - PALS encouraging and supporting patients and staff to engage in PPI initiatives  Peterborough - PALS involved in steering group to establish Better Government for Older People initiative. Resulting in the formation of a new Health & Social Care Action Group for Older People.

PALS - Seeking the views of patients & the public  PALS involvement in national and local patient survey work  PALS facilitating patient experience feedback days  PALS actively engaging traditionally hard to reach groups – i.e. Travellers

PALS - Promoting diversity issues  Peterborough - PALS acting as the Patients Champion on Diversity issues lobbying for changes to policies and procedures  Darlington – Involving people with learning disabilities in making a video about PALS for people with learning disabilities.

PALS - influencing other initiatives  PALS and clinical governance  PALS and essence of care  PALS and staff training & development  PALS and the choice agenda  PALS and matrons  PALS and improving working lives

PALS improving the patient experience  The National PALS Development Group repository of good practice.  PALS improve the patient experience daily – as part of their routine work  Improvement is gradual but definitely happening  PALS are catalysts for change and improvement – work with others to make this happen