How the service is being used

The total case load is now over 250 since the service was launched in September 2001.

The nature of these cases remains varied, engaging PALS across the Trust (figure 1).  Concerns around parking and waiting times; waiting for initial appointments, admission and whilst attending outpatient and Accident and Emergency departments feature quite prominently (figure 2).  Communication, although not always the prime area of concern, continues to be a factor in the majority of cases. The PALS team has also been used to good effect in case conferences providing support to patients and their relatives and carers. 

The preferred method of access to PALS for most clients is in person closely followed by telephone contact. Referrals to the service are most often made by the volunteers on reception, ward staff and, on occasion, by former clients.

To evaluate the effectiveness of PALS a survey was sent out at the end of April to clients who had used the service.  The response was good and the results proved to be very positive. 90% of clients found the support provided by PALS to be useful, 53% rated the service as excellent, 40% as good and 94% said that they would use the service again.

With the increased emphasis on Patient and Public Involvement PALS has provided a contact point for members of the public who may wish to become involved with the development of Trust services. 

See also:

Figure 1: PALS activity by clinical area

Figure 2: PALS contact categories