No assessment has been made of the consistency of National Health Service trusts in responding to Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) enquiries.

Generally, there are no required national timeframes or service standards for responding to enquires made to PALS. However, where PALS are responding to complaints raised under the formal NHS complaints process, they must follow the requirements in The Local Authority Social Services and National Health Service Complaints (England) Regulations 2009 which set out in law the minimum standards NHS organisations must adhere to.

The 10-Year Health Plan committed the Department and NHS England to improving the handling of patient complaints, including to update complaint regulations. It is intended that this will also consider related matters, such as the introduction of new forms of feedback and the role of PALS services. This will be within the portfolio of the new National Director for Patient Experience, for which recruitment is underway.

No assessment has been made of the consistency of National Health Service trusts in responding to Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) enquiries.

Generally, there are no required national timeframes or service standards for responding to enquires made to PALS. However, where PALS are responding to complaints raised under the formal NHS complaints process, they must follow the requirements in The Local Authority Social Services and National Health Service Complaints (England) Regulations 2009 which set out in law the minimum standards NHS organisations must adhere to.

The 10-Year Health Plan committed the Department and NHS England to improving the handling of patient complaints, including to update complaint regulations. It is intended that this will also consider related matters, such as the introduction of new forms of feedback and the role of PALS services. This will be within the portfolio of the new National Director for Patient Experience, for which recruitment is underway.

No assessment has been made of the operation and level of resourcing of Patient Advice and Liaison Services (PALS) across National Health Service trusts. PALS is a free, confidential and independent service providing advice and support to resolve issues affecting NHS patients informally and, in some areas, formally through the NHS complaints process. It is for NHS trusts to determine the provision of PALS within their hospitals.

The 10-Year Health Plan committed the Department and NHS England to improving the handling of patient complaints, including to update of complaint regulations. It is intended that this will also consider related matters, such as the introduction of new forms of feedback and the role of PALS. This will be within the portfolio of the new National Director for Patient Experience, for which recruitment will soon be underway.

No assessment has been made of the operation and level of resourcing of Patient Advice and Liaison Services (PALS) across National Health Service trusts. PALS is a free, confidential and independent service providing advice and support to resolve issues affecting NHS patients informally and, in some areas, formally through the NHS complaints process. It is for NHS trusts to determine the provision of PALS within their hospitals.

The 10-Year Health Plan committed the Department and NHS England to improving the handling of patient complaints, including to update of complaint regulations. It is intended that this will also consider related matters, such as the introduction of new forms of feedback and the role of PALS. This will be within the portfolio of the new National Director for Patient Experience, for which recruitment will soon be underway.

We have not made an assessment of the adequacy of National Health Service trusts in responding to Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) enquiries. Generally, there are no required national timeframes for responding to enquiries made to PALS. However, if they are responding to complaints raised under the formal NHS complaints process, they must follow the requirements in The Local Authority Social Services and National Health Service Complaints (England) Regulations 2009. The regulations require NHS organisations to notify complainants about the timeframe in which the investigation of their complaint is likely to be completed and investigate and resolve formal NHS complaints speedily and efficiently.

The independent complaints advocacy service in the National Health Service is covered by a wider grant for Local Reform and Community Voices and is not a requirement of Healthwatch England or Local Healthwatch. This grant provides funding to local authorities which assists them in meeting statutory duties. This funding will continue to be provided. This grant has not been ringfenced to date and there are no plans to ringfence it, moving forward.

In January 2015 a limited review was conducted in respect of NHS Advocacy Services but this was not published because the Department took the view that local authority commissioning arrangements should drive the accessibility and quality of advocacy services.

The Department has also sought to improve the information available locally for patients on how to complain, including by publishing a national advice guide, providing templates for posters on every hospital ward and, through Healthwatch England working with Citizens Advice, ensured there is accurate information online about how to complain.

The Department’s Feedback Improvement Partnership work programme includes examining the support and information available locally for patients on how to complain if they are dissatisfied with NHS services. This includes support provided by both the Patient Advice and Liaison Service and NHS Complaints Advocacy Services.

The last Government abolished community health councils, a truly independent health watchdog and voice for patients. Their replacement, the patient advice and liaison service, is not independent. Does the Minister agree that PALS must be made independent?

PALS was not the direct replacement of community health councils; a different scheme was set up for the patient and public voice independent of hospitals. My hon. Friend raises important concerns about PALS and the Government are intent on looking at the service to ensure that it performs effectively for patients.

The Government gave an undertaking in the response to Hard Truths: The Journey to Putting Patients First to review the Patient Advice and Liaison Service and NHS Complaints Advocacy arrangements. It is envisaged that both reviews will be complete by spring 2015.

On the Patient Advice and Liaison Services (PALS), the current cash allocation for is not identified separately within the National Health Service budget because it is seen as an integral part of overall NHS running costs.

In April 2002, £10 million was added to the NHS baseline budget to reflect the activity of PALS. Since then this sum has been adjusted annually in line with the overall NHS budget allocation.

On Healthwatch, we have made £43.5 million available nationally in 2013-14 for local authorities to fund local Healthwatch. Provisionally, we expect to allocate the same amount in 2014-15.

Of this, £30.2 million of local Healthwatch funding will be made available nationally through the Local Government Finance Settlement. It is for local authorities to choose how best to spend money allocated in this way.

The remaining £13.3 million will form a part of the new Local Reform and Community Voices Grant. This grant covers a number of funding streams, including local Healthwatch. This grant is not ring-fenced, so again it will be for local authorities to decide how best to spend their grants.