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Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Complaints and Patient Advice & Liaison Service (PALS) Case Manager

The closing date is 29 April 2026

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Job summary

Complaints and Patient Advice & Liaison Service (PALS) Case Manager

Band 6 £39,959 - £48,117 Per annum, pro rata if part-time

1 Permanent, 1 Fixed Term Maternity cover

Hours 37.5 per week, all MKUH roles will be considered for flexible working

The Complaints and PALS Team at Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is seeking to appoint experienced, resilient and compassionate individuals to join us as a Complaints & PALS Case Manager.

This is a demanding but rewarding role and would suit someone with existing NHS experience who understands the realities of working with patients and families who may be distressed, aggrieved or angry, and who is confident managing sensitive issues through to resolution.

You will be responsible for managing a caseload of formal NHS complaints, acting as the central point of contact for patients, families and clinical teams. The role requires strong judgement, empathy and the ability to remain calm, professional and solution-focused in emotionally challenging situations.

You will be joining a supportive and experienced Complaints & PALS Team, playing a vital role in ensuring patients' voices are heard and that learning from complaints contributes to service improvement across the Trust.

You will manage complaints from receipt to final response, acting as a case manager

Please note that we are not able to offer sponsorship for this role.

Interview date: 12 May 2026

Main duties of the job

'Administrative and Clerical staff feel supported with flexible working at MKUH, reporting 6.82 out of 10, and a 76% feel strongly about approaching their managers regarding flexible working.'''NHS Survey, 2024''

Engage directly with patients and families, includingface-to-face meetings

Work closely with clinicians and senior clinical staff, supporting them through the complaints process

Draft high-quality, clear and professional written complaint responses, often involving complex clinical information

Ideally, we are looking for people with experience of handling NHS complaints or patient experience work as we are seeking to fill two key roles within the team.

Liaise extensively with clinical teams, services and corporate colleagues

Maintain accurate records and effectively multitask across multiple cases and priorities

You will:

  • have significant NHS experience in complaints, PALS, patient experience, governance or a related role
  • Be emotionally resilient, empathetic and able to communicate confidently with people who may be upset or angry
  • Have excellent listening skills and the ability to de-escalate difficult situations
  • Be confident working with medical terminology and clinical information
  • Be an excellent and confident letter writer, able to produce sensitive, robust and high-quality responses
  • Be highly organised, able to manage a busy caseload and juggle competing demands
  • Be comfortable working closely with clinicians and supporting them through complex complaint matter

About us

Milton Keynes University Hospital, in proud partnership with the University of Buckingham, is a University Teaching Hospital committed to advancing patient care through cutting-edge research and education. With a "Good" rating from the CQC and significant investment underway, this is an exciting time to join our team and grow your career.

As a medium sized general hospital, we provide a full range of general medical and surgical services, including a busy Emergency Department, Maternity, and Paediatrics. As the population of our city and surrounding areas continues to grow rapidly, we are expanding and enhancing our facilities to meet rising demand and improve access to care for all our communities.

We are also proud to offer a growing portfolio of specialist services. In January 2025, we opened our state-of-the-art Radiotherapy Centre, bringing advanced cancer treatment closer to home. Our services also include neonatology, specialist surgical care, and a wide range of diagnostics, supported by the new Community Diagnostic Centre at Whitehouse Health Centre.

We are about to open the Oak Wards - a new ward block featuring two 24-bed wards - and the recently approved Women and Children's Centre, is set to open by 2030.

Visit our website to explore the latest news and opportunities at MKUH - News - Milton Keynes University Hospital -

For further information about Milton Keynes please visit - Visit Milton Keynes

Details

Date posted

15 April 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£39,959 to £48,117 a year Per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

430-CORP26-357A-A

Job locations

Complaints & PALS (Dept)

Milton Keynes

MK6 5LD


Job description

Job responsibilities

To be responsible for high quality and timely communication with all contacts to the office including patients, their families, and staff. Maintain and nurture relationships with all staff providing a supportive environment where staff feel supported through the complaints and investigative process. Ensure contacts to the service receive non- clinical advice appropriate to their needs. Patients and families should also be provided with advice and information regarding the complaints procedure and what they should expect from the Complaints or PALS team.

To be able to produce reports that clearly analyse where complaints are happening, what the complaints are regarding and what action is being taken in response to the complaints on a Divisional and Trust wide level.

Other duties

To provide support to the Head of Complaints and Patient and Family Experience and act as their Deputy in their absence ensuring the smooth running of the department and being the first point of reference and support to the complaints and PALS team members.

Lead in the drafting of investigation responses, which may often be complex and/or lengthy, to produce a well written letter of response for the complainant for designated divisions.

Please refer to the Job Description for further details

Job description

Job responsibilities

To be responsible for high quality and timely communication with all contacts to the office including patients, their families, and staff. Maintain and nurture relationships with all staff providing a supportive environment where staff feel supported through the complaints and investigative process. Ensure contacts to the service receive non- clinical advice appropriate to their needs. Patients and families should also be provided with advice and information regarding the complaints procedure and what they should expect from the Complaints or PALS team.

To be able to produce reports that clearly analyse where complaints are happening, what the complaints are regarding and what action is being taken in response to the complaints on a Divisional and Trust wide level.

Other duties

To provide support to the Head of Complaints and Patient and Family Experience and act as their Deputy in their absence ensuring the smooth running of the department and being the first point of reference and support to the complaints and PALS team members.

Lead in the drafting of investigation responses, which may often be complex and/or lengthy, to produce a well written letter of response for the complainant for designated divisions.

Please refer to the Job Description for further details

Person Specification

Qualifications and knowledge

Essential

  • Educated to degree level or equivalent relevant work experience
  • A good knowledge of national Complaint Regulations including the Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman Principles

Experience

Essential

  • Extensive knowledge and experience working in a NHS complaints environment
  • Extensive experience in the writing of complaint responses

Skills

Essential

  • Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team
  • Ability to cope with tight deadlines and competing priorities
  • Ability to analyse complex clinical issues /problems
  • Ability to work with people at all levels of the organisation

Personal and people development

Essential

  • Experience of training and developing colleagues

Communication

Essential

  • Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to influence others
  • Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written
Person Specification

Qualifications and knowledge

Essential

  • Educated to degree level or equivalent relevant work experience
  • A good knowledge of national Complaint Regulations including the Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman Principles

Experience

Essential

  • Extensive knowledge and experience working in a NHS complaints environment
  • Extensive experience in the writing of complaint responses

Skills

Essential

  • Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team
  • Ability to cope with tight deadlines and competing priorities
  • Ability to analyse complex clinical issues /problems
  • Ability to work with people at all levels of the organisation

Personal and people development

Essential

  • Experience of training and developing colleagues

Communication

Essential

  • Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to influence others
  • Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Complaints & PALS (Dept)

Milton Keynes

MK6 5LD


Employer's website

https://www.mkuh.nhs.uk/working-at-mkuh (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Complaints & PALS (Dept)

Milton Keynes

MK6 5LD


Employer's website

https://www.mkuh.nhs.uk/working-at-mkuh (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Head of Patient Safety & Legal Services

Tina Worth

Tina.Worth@mkuh.nhs.uk

Details

Date posted

15 April 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£39,959 to £48,117 a year Per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

430-CORP26-357A-A

Job locations

Complaints & PALS (Dept)

Milton Keynes

MK6 5LD


Supporting documents

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