Patient advice and liaison service officer
Patient advice and liaison service (PALS) officers give support, advice and information about NHS services.
What you'll do
Day-to-day tasks
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.
Career path and progression
With experience and possibly further study, you could progress to senior PALS officer or PALS service manager.
What it takes
Skills and knowledge
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
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
- volunteering
- applying directly
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
More Information
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
More Information
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.
It can be possible to enter this role through volunteering, especially within the NHS.
Some patient advice and liaison services are staffed by a mix of paid staff and volunteers.
Contact the voluntary services co-ordinator or manager at your local NHS authority or trust or go directly to your local PALS services.
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 tips
When applying for jobs, you'll be expected to show an understanding of how NHS values apply in your work.
Further information
You can find out more about working in healthcare from Health Careers.
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External links
This page contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.