Experiences of St George’s Hospital PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service)

 Healthwatch Wandsworth decided to undertake further research into people's understanding of and access to PALS following feedback from the public. Between October 2025 and March 2026, they heard from 201 residents about PALS through a combination of outreach events and online surveys.

it was clear that many residents did not know about PALS and even fewer felt confident in explaining what its purpose was. Those who were familiar with PALS often equated it with a service for making complaints about the NHS, far fewer were aware of its various other functions.

Respondents indicated a range of issues with accessing PALS both at St George’s and other hospitals. These ranged from calls to the service not being answered, emails not being responded to, or that when a patient attempted to go to the PALS office in person it was either closed or not staffed. For those who were able to access PALS, satisfaction with the resulting communication was varied. The main reason for respondents stating that communication was bad with PALS was due to delays in getting updates or response to emails or voicemails sent.

While some respondents were satisfied with the outcome of their enquiry with PALS the majority were dissatisfied. Respondents highlighted a range of reasons they were not satisfied. Several respondents highlighted the issue that using PALS did not lead to any positive change. They stated that PALS seemed to lack the authority to ensure hospital departments followed up and responded to the enquiry. 

Several respondents also noted that the stressful and time consuming nature of their enquiry with PALS had led them to feel it had not been worth their while following the outcome. These themes indicate that there is a clear disconnect between patient’s expectations of what PALS can offer as a service and what power they have to influence or get satisfactory responses from other hospital departments.