Job summary
The role of Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) Assistant is a crucial advocate for patients. The aim of PALS is to support timely resolution and support for patients and their families with questions or concerns in relation to the care and treatment provided by the Trust.
Management of questions and concerns can support patients to receive resolution to concerns quickly and efficiently to achieve the best outcome for both patient and service.
The PALS assistants will also support a patient to escalate concerns to formal complaints should resolution not be achieved.
Main duties of the job
- Liaison with patients and families via email, telephone or face to face contact to understand concerns and seek timely resolution.
- Lead discussions and correspondence with clinical colleagues to reach clear resolutions for patients and their families.
- Support the daily functioning of the Patient Experience Hub and liaison with Hospital Partners.
- Support patients and families to escalate concerns to formal complaints if timely resolution is not achieved.
About us
All new colleagues can expect to receive a warm and friendly Wirral welcome from the very first time they make contact with us. We are described as "competent and caring staff" by our patients.
Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is situated on The Wirral peninsula which has a stunning coastline and beautiful countryside surroundings, with great activities for its residents.
We are one of the largest and busiest acute Trusts in the North West of England, comprising of the Wirral's only Emergency Department. We provide a high quality range of acute care services and employ over 6,000 staff, who serve a population of approximately 400,000 people across Wirral, Ellesmere Port, Neston, North Wales and the wider North West footprint.
We have approximately 855 beds trust-wide and our financial turnover is in excess of £337m.
The Wirral is easily accessible with excellent transport links including motorway, train, bus or ferry and within easy reach to the major cities of Liverpool, Chester and Manchester as well as neighbouring North Wales.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Full details of the job role can be seen in the attached job description, further details can be requested through a informal discussion with the recruiting manager.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Full details of the job role can be seen in the attached job description, further details can be requested through a informal discussion with the recruiting manager.
Person Specification
Qualifications, Specific Experience & Training
Essential
- EDCL or proved proficiency in Microsoft Office
- NVQ level 3 or equivalent experience
- Experience of working in a customer service/care role with a high volume of incoming calls/correspondence
Personal Attributes
Essential
- Remain calm under pressure when dealing with high work volumes
- Calm and confident when handling sensitive situations
- Ability to plan, organise, manage and prioritise own workload
- Ability to work well as part of a team, with an enthusiasm to assist colleagues and meet team/organisation targets
- Excellent personal qualities of confidence, diplomacy, discretion and patience
- A positive and constructive outlook towards challenging situations
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Good written and verbal communication skills with an ability to effectively liaise with members of the public and staff in occasionally sensitive circumstances
- Ability to plan and organise high work volumes from different work streams
- IT literate, with an efficient working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and databases
- Understanding of data protection
Desirable
- Knowledge of the concerns and complaints policy and the process for managing concerns and complaints in an NHS Trust
- Knowledge/use of Cerner Millennium
- Knowledge/use of Safeguard
- Familiar with medical terminology
Person Specification
Qualifications, Specific Experience & Training
Essential
- EDCL or proved proficiency in Microsoft Office
- NVQ level 3 or equivalent experience
- Experience of working in a customer service/care role with a high volume of incoming calls/correspondence
Personal Attributes
Essential
- Remain calm under pressure when dealing with high work volumes
- Calm and confident when handling sensitive situations
- Ability to plan, organise, manage and prioritise own workload
- Ability to work well as part of a team, with an enthusiasm to assist colleagues and meet team/organisation targets
- Excellent personal qualities of confidence, diplomacy, discretion and patience
- A positive and constructive outlook towards challenging situations
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Good written and verbal communication skills with an ability to effectively liaise with members of the public and staff in occasionally sensitive circumstances
- Ability to plan and organise high work volumes from different work streams
- IT literate, with an efficient working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and databases
- Understanding of data protection
Desirable
- Knowledge of the concerns and complaints policy and the process for managing concerns and complaints in an NHS Trust
- Knowledge/use of Cerner Millennium
- Knowledge/use of Safeguard
- Familiar with medical terminology
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
