Patient advice and liaison service officer
Patient advice and liaison service (PALS) officers give support, advice and information about NHS services.
- Starter salary£26,000 a year
- Experienced£31,000 a year
- Typical hours37 to 40 a week
What you'll do
In this role you could:
- work with staff, managers and support groups to solve problems
- help patients understand the NHS complaints procedure
- manage complaints
- raise patient feedback and concerns with NHS management
- supervise and coordinate PALS volunteers
Working environment
You could work in the community or in an NHS or private hospital.
Your working environment may be emotionally demanding.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- customer service skills
- sensitivity and understanding
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- excellent verbal communication skills
- active listening skills
- the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- counselling skills including active listening and a non-judgemental approach
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
How to become a patient advice and liaison service officer
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
- volunteering
- applying directly
College
The Level 2 or 3 Diploma in Customer Service teaches useful skills like dealing with complaints and resolving patient issues.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course
Apprenticeship
You can gain some of the skills and knowledge you need through:
- a Customer Service Practitioner Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
- a Customer Service Specialist Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
You can search for NHS customer service apprenticeships on NHS Jobs .
Entry requirements
To get onto an apprenticeship, you'll find it useful to have:
- 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
- some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
Work
You may be able to start as a patient advice and liaison service (PALS) secretary or administrator and work your way up to PALS officer.
Volunteering
It can be possible to enter this role through volunteering in the NHS .
Some patient advice and liaison services are staffed by a mix of paid staff and volunteers.
You can also contact your local PALS services about opportunities.
Direct application
To apply directly to become a PALS officer jobs, you'll need:
- a good general standard of education GCSEs (grades 9 to 4 or A* to C) including English and maths
- previous experience in a customer care or mediation role, including dealing with complaints
Some NHS organisations might want you to have a degree or may prefer you to have some working knowledge of the NHS.
A background in any of the following professions could be useful:
- healthcare
- advice
- advocacy
- counselling
Career path and progression
With experience and possibly further study, you could progress to senior PALS officer or PALS service manager.
Career tips
You would be expected to have an understanding of how the NHS values would apply in your work.
Guides for this industry
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