The closing date is 18 June 2026
The PALS & Complaints Officer is the main point of contact for individuals wishing to raise concerns or seeking advice or information about Trust services. The post holder is required to adopt a flexible and supportive approach to resolving requests for information regarding Trust services via the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) or its complaints functions.
The post holder is an essential point of contact in working closely with front line staff to receive, manage and respond to formal and informal enquiries and complaints in line with Trust policy and procedure and NHS Complaints Regulations.
This role provides the main interface with complainants, some of whom may be challenging. It is therefore vital the post holder is a good listener and effective team player and will need to be able to communicate information effectively to members of the public, staff and volunteers and provide support to them as required. A professional, caring and respectful manner must be demonstrated at all times.
Post holders may come into contact with patients, their carers / family, with advocates and with staff who may express a range of emotions including distress or anger as a result of an incident, breach of confidentiality or alleged failing in care. The ability to act with diplomacy, empathy and professionalism is expected at all time
Acting as a point of contact for patients raising queries or concerns on the phone, via email or in person. This may include attending the ward to discuss issues with inpatients and their families.
Advising patients and their families of the PALS and Complaints processes and assisting them with the process where required.
Build and maintain good relationships with clinical and non-clinical staff across the Trust to help resolve patients concerns quickly and efficiently, negotiate solutions on their behalf and ensure they receive practical advice and support in a sensitive, appropriate and effective way
Working collaboratively with a variety of staff to resolve queries and concerns in a timely way.
Ensuring that concerns are escalated to relevant staff within the hospital if they cannot be resolved within set timescales
Manage a caseload of individual concerns from initial contact to liaising with unit managers who are responsible for providing the response. This will include administrative logging on Ulysses identify the key issues to be addressed and the reviewing of response to ensure they cover all aspects of the concern raised.
Maintaining accurate and detailed records of concerns and queries raised and the outcome of local resolution.
Exercise high levels of concentration given the unpredictable nature of the work. The post holder must be able to prioritise and manage the competing demands of their workload
At the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH), we are committed to achieving the best staff experience in the NHS. In the 2023 NHS Staff Survey, we proudly:
At RNOH, we're committed to being actively anti-discriminatory and actively inclusive. We recognise our brilliant people do brilliant work, and we offer rewarding careers, no matter what their background. We continue to strive to break down barriers to be the Trust where people come together because what they do matters, makes a difference and where they can thrive.
Joining our organisation means enjoying a wide range of staff benefits, including:
At RNOH, we are more than a workplace--we are committed to patients, to excellence and the wellbeing of our staff.
Acting as a point of contact for patients raising queries or concerns on the phone, via email or in person. This may include attending the ward to discuss issues with inpatients and their families.
Providing compassionate support for patients, families and staff members involved in the PALS process.
Advising patients and their families of the PALS and Complaints processes and assisting them with the process where required.
Build and maintain good relationships with clinical and non-clinical staff across the Trust to help resolve patients concerns quickly and efficiently, negotiate solutions on their behalf and ensure they receive practical advice and support in a sensitive, appropriate and effective way
Working collaboratively with a variety of staff to resolve queries and concerns in a timely way.
Ensuring that concerns are escalated to relevant staff within the hospital if they cannot be resolved within set timescales
Manage a caseload of individual concerns from initial contact to liaising with unit managers who are responsible for providing the response. This will include administrative logging on Ulysses identify the key issues to be addressed and the reviewing of response to ensure they cover all aspects of the concern raised.
Maintaining accurate and detailed records of concerns and queries raised by patients and their families and the outcome of local resolution.
Central point of contact for staff requiring information about PALS activity including the provision of reports based on information derived from the Ulysses Database.
Identify and produce reports of themes highlighted through PALS and Complaints indicating any subsequent changes in practice for inclusion in departmental/quality reports.
Exercise high levels of concentration given the unpredictable nature of the work. The post holder must be able to prioritise and manage the competing demands of their workload
Provide non-clinical advice to patients/service users or carers and be responsible for escalating a concern or complaint where patient safety appears to be at risk.
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.
Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust