Patient Advice and Liaison Service Advisor, Band 4
Closing date: 18 June 2026
Are you passionate about improving the experiences of patients and their families at some of their most vulnerable moments? We are looking for a compassionate, organised and motivated individual to join our dynamic Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) team as a PALS Advisor. This is a rewarding opportunity to make a real difference by supporting patients, carers and visitors to have their voices heard and their enquiries or concerns resolved quickly and effectively.
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is a large district general hospital in the South West, with a clear vision to provide the best care for everyone in our community. Our five‑year strategy places the patient voice at the centre of everything we do, and PALS plays a critical role in delivering this ambition – ensuring we learn from feedback and continuously improve the quality of care we provide.
As a PALS Advisor, you will support the delivery of a high‑quality, responsive and person‑centred service. You will work closely with clinical and operational teams to manage concerns, provide advice, guidance and information. This is a varied role requiring excellent communication skills, emotional resilience and the ability to manage sensitive situations with empathy and professionalism.
The proposed interview date is Friday 26th June.
Main duties of the job
Reporting to the PALS Manager, you will provide advice, support and guidance to patients, relatives and carers, ensuring their concerns are heard and responded to effectively.
This is a varied and fast‑paced role requiring excellent communication, problem‑solving and organisational skills. You will deliver an accessible and responsive service, listening to concerns and working with clinical teams to achieve timely, effective resolution, including managing issues in real time.
You will communicate via telephone, email, written correspondence and face‑to‑face, including visiting wards to support patients, carers and staff. The role requires empathy and resilience, as you will often support individuals in sensitive or emotionally challenging situations.
You will maintain accurate records using Trust systems, ensuring confidentiality and data quality, and support the identification of themes and learning from patient feedback.
As part of the Patient Experience team, you will contribute to the Trust's commitment to place the patient voice at the centre of care and improve patient experience.
Job responsibilities
* Provide an accessible and responsive service, ensuring concerns and enquiries can be raised easily
* Triage concerns, identifying those for immediate resolution and those requiring escalation
* Listen, understand and respond to concerns with empathy and professionalism
* Gain consent and maintain confidentiality at all times
* Work collaboratively with clinical teams to support timely, effective resolution
* Communicate by telephone, email, written correspondence and face‑to‑face, including managing sensitive or complex situations
* Use initiative, discretion and impartiality when handling challenging cases
* Visit wards and departments to support patients, carers and staff
* Maintain accurate records on Trust systems (Datix), ensuring high standards of data quality
* Signpost to appropriate internal and external services
* Support identification of themes, trends and risks to inform improvements in care
* Work within Trust policies and promote the work of PALS and the Patient Experience team
* Build partnerships to support diverse patient needs and contribute to quality improvement
* Undertake other duties appropriate to the role
Additional Contact Details
Katherine Holland
Head of Patient Experience
katherine.holland@nhs.net
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
* NVQ level 3 or demonstrable equivalent experience
* IT skills at level 3 or equivalent demonstrable experience
* Evidence of continuing professional development or a willingness to undertake training relevant to the role
Experience
Essential
* Demonstrable experience of providing high quality customer service
* Experience in dealing with concerns or complaints with mixed complexity
* Demonstrable experience of using databases
* Demonstrable experience of office based administrative work
Desirable
* Experience of working in the NHS
Knowledge/ Skills
Essential
* Excellent demonstrable communication skills, both verbal and written with excellent attention to detail
* Demonstrable ability to respond to tight deadlines, prioritise own workload and work under pressure in a busy environment
* Excellent, demonstrable customer service skills e.g. problem solving, negotiation, confidentiality and sign posting
* Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of the key principles of patient experience and PALS
* Excellent, demonstrable ability to deal with complex and sensitive situations with empathy and compassion
* Strong focus on providing high‑quality and personable customer experience
* Works effectively both autonomously under own initiative and actively as part of a team
* Genuine desire to work in a healthcare environment
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Employer details
Employer name
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Trustwide
Gloucestershire
GL1 3NN
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.gloshospitals.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)
£28,392 to £31,157 a year (pa pro rata if part‑time)
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