How we can help

Patient Relations Team

We are a confidential advice, support and information service and welcome feedback about our services as we recognise the value that comments, complaints, concerns and compliments can provide. Your feedback assists us in developing better quality and higher standards of healthcare for all of our service users, carers and families. 

Patient Choice Award 2024

Think someone involved in you or your loved ones care deserves standout recognition, why not nominate them for our Patient Choice 2024 Award? Entries close on Friday 19th July!

Contact us

You can contact us by completing the form further down this page or via the contact details listed below.

Address: Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust, 2 Kings Court, Charles Hastings Way, Worcester, WR5 1JR
Telephone: 01905 681517
Email: WHCNHS.PALS@nhs.net 

If you wish to contact the Chief Executive directly, please send letters to the above address. 

The Patient Relations Team will contact you within two working days of receiving your contact and we are available Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm, with the exclusion of bank holidays.

Please note: If your enquiry relates to care provided by Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust please contact: 0300 123 1732 or email wah-tr.PALS@NHS.net    

If your enquiry relates to a GP or practice please contact 0300 311 22 33 or email england.contactus@nhs.net 

How PALS can help you

We are committed to providing safe and high-quality care to all of our patients and service users. If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of care or treatment we will:

  • Work with you to understand your concerns and seek to resolve them to your satisfaction.
  • Where a mistake or error has been made this will be acknowledged and you will receive an apology.
  • You will receive an explanation of what went wrong and what has been done to ensure that it does not recur. 

In accordance with the Principles for Remedy published by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust has taken action to ensure that we are: 

  • Getting it right
  • Being customer focussed
  • Being open and accountable
  • Acting fairly and proportionately
  • Putting things right
  • Seeking continuous improvement

Compliments Complaints and Suggestions

Raising a concern (PALS)

Concerns are often best raised with staff, the team or their manager at the time as those involved in your care value the opportunity to resolve these with you. However we do understand that sometimes you may not wish to raise a concern directly with the staff or team involved so our Patient Relations Team is here to help and will offer you independent advice and support to resolve the concern. The Patient Relations Team contact details are here. 

Making a complaint

Complaints are regarded as a positive opportunity to receive direct feedback on a person’s perception of the quality of a service and more importantly, as an opportunity for us to learn how services could be improved. A complaint should usually be made as soon as possible after the event and within 12 months of the date when you became aware of the issue.  

Our Patient Relations Team would encourage you to take the time to make telephone contact on: 01905 681517 so that all options to resolve your complaint can be explored with you. However, you may not wish to speak to the team so if this is the case you can write to our Chief Executive or our Patient Relations Team.

If a formal complaint is pursued we will appoint an investigating officer to look into the issues you have raised. We aim to respond to you within 25 working days, however there are times when we may need longer and we will contact you to agree an extension to the timescale. At the conclusion of our investigations we will write to you and provide you with an explanation of events and an apology if we need to.  

Sharing your compliments

As a Trust we receive a large number of compliments from service users, carers and their families who wish to express their gratitude for services received. Compliments are therefore important feedback for us and are seen as a means of learning how things have gone well.

We are always delighted to receive compliments about our services and teams. If you would like to share your appreciation you may do so by contacting the staff member, the ward or team manager, our Patient Relations Team or our Chief Executive. Please see contact details here.

Patient Choice Award 2024

Think someone involved in you or your loved ones care deserves standout recognition, why not nominate them for our Patient Choice 2024 Award? Entries close on Friday 19th July!

Comments and suggestions

Many of our services have comment cards or books available for you to provide a suggestion. However if these are not available or you wish to share your comments directly to the Patient Relations Team please contact us as we would be pleased to pass these to the service on your behalf.

Tell us how you feel about our services

Your Feedback

Note: Questions marked by * are mandatory


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Other useful contacts

If you require independent support to raise a concern or make a complaint you may like to contact the local advocacy service at:

Onside Advocacy
Williamson House, 14 Charles Street, Worcester, WR1 2AQ
Telephone: 01905 27525
Email: info@onside-advocacy.org.uk    
Website: www.onside-advocacy.org.uk

There may be times when we are unable to resolve your complaint so if this is the case and you are dissatisfied with the way that we have managed your complaint you can ask the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman to investigate this for you.  They can be contacted at:

Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO)
Millbank Tower, Millbank, London, SW1P 4QP
Telephone: 0345 015 4033
Email: phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk   
Website: www.ombudsman.org.uk

CQC Care Qualitity Comission

You can provide feedback to the CQC online to share;

  • an experience of care - it can be good or bad
  • a concern about a service you work for

This is different from making a formal complaint. To make a formal complaint, you must contact the Trust PALS.

Phone lines are open Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5.30pm, excluding bank holidays.