"PALS"

I sought the advice of PALS to liaise with my consultant over a matter they

had agreed to during the consultation and then retracted. I spoke to a member of staff, who was unhelpful from the start and advised I lodge a formal complaint. I got the impression they did not want to deal with the matter despite their role in PALS. The member of staff had poor listening skills and no empathy, interrupting me while I was explaining the issue and passing the buck, ironically considering this member of staff is meant to be a supportive intermediary between patients and staff.

Unfortunately my latest consultation was postponed for 3 months (meaning over 7 months wait between consultations after being put on steroids for the first time and discovering underlying bone density problems) and I telephoned PALS to try to reschedule an earlier appointment and had the misfortune to deal with this member of staff again. Their manner had not improved. The member of staff was rude and even started laughing when I expressed my concerns. I had to point out that they were interrupting me and eventually asked for someone else to take my case.