We know that we don’t get it right every time, if you are not happy with the care you receive while in hospital it is much better to tell someone while you are still here, so that we can do something about it.

Examples of changes the hospital has made in response to feedback are available here.

If you have feedback that you would like to give, such as a compliment or concern, you can share this with a member  of staff involved in your treatment. If something is worrying you, often problems can be fixed quickly by talking to someone about your concern. Tell a member of staff what is worrying you and they will do their best to help. When necessary, they will contact a more senior member of the team, such as the Matron.

Please click here to see our Ward Directory and our Service Directory.

The Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) offer confidential advice, support and information on matters relating to your care and treatment at any of our hospitals. PALS will listen to your comments and feedback and if something hasn’t gone so well, where they can, they will put things right as quickly as possible. PALS are a patient friendly, easy-to-access service designed to provide a personal contact to assist patients, relatives, and carers.

If you, or someone important to you have a concern about your care or treatment, and you are unable to resolve the issues with the hospital or feel that the member of staff has not resolved your concerns then please contact the PALS Team. We always like to try to resolve the issues you raise at the time they happen and often, the matter can be resolved straight away. Equally, we want the opportunity to try to stop it from happening again.

PALS are here to:

Provide information and help answer questions about hospital care. Work with you to achieve a satisfactory resolution, whether you are requesting information, providing feedback, raising a concern, or making a complaint.
Advise and support patients and people important to them. We understand that being in hospital can be an anxious time and you might need someone else to act on your behalf.
Listen to your concerns if you are unhappy with an aspect of your care and help to resolve problems or concerns quickly before they become more serious.
Support and Help with the complaints procedure and can give you information about making a complaint and how to contact independent help.

We will listen to your views about our services and your ideas about how we could improve. We are a contact point for your feedback and suggestions about how services can be improved.

Contacting the PALS Team:

The PALS Team are available 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays). On weekends they are available by telephone and email only, from 9am to 2pm.

At the Princess Royal Hospital, the PALS office is in the main hospital entrance.
At the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, the PALS office is in the main ward block entrance (on level 2).

The PALS Team can be contacted by telephone on:

• The Princess Royal Hospital – 01952 282888 or 01952 641222 ext 4382
• The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital – 01743 261691 or 08007830057

Alternatively, the PALS Team can be emailed on: sath.pals@nhs.net

If you call out-of-hours, please leave a message and a member of the PALS team will return your call as soon as possible.

Often people find it useful to discuss a concern straight away with staff directly or a member of the PALS Team, as this helps to put things right as quickly as possible. However, if you decide to make a complaint, advice is available to help you with this process.

We understand that sometimes people worry that making a complaint could affect the patient’s care. Complaints are dealt with in a sensitive way and are not kept in a patient’s medical file. It is important that you know, your comments will not affect the quality of care you receive.

Click here to find out more information about how to make a complaint.

If you wish to make a formal complaint you can email or write to the Chief Executive within 12 months of the incident that caused the problem. You can submit a complaint by:

– Emailing: sath.complaints@nhs.net
– Writing to: Chief Executive, Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, Mytton Oak Road, Shrewsbury, SY3 8XQ
– Complaints Team Contact Number: 01743 261000 Extension 2600

Once you have made a complaint a member of the team will contact you within three working days (Monday to Friday) to discuss your concerns. Please include contact details to help us contact you and keep you updated.

We understand that sometimes people worry that making a complaint could affect the patient’s care. Complaints are dealt with in a sensitive and are not kept in a patient’s medical file.

If you are making a complaint, it would be helpful if you include the following information:

• Your full name
• Your address
• Your telephone number
• The patient’s name and date of birth
• The hospital number (if you know it)
• The hospital and department or service that the concern relates to
• The name of staff members involved if your concern relates to an individual
• The name of anyone who witnessed the incident if relevant
• A description of the events relating to the concern, with dates if possible
• Try to make your explanations short and clear
• If you have questions that you would like to ask it may help to list them
• If someone is helping you through the complaint process please give their name
• If you are complaining on behalf of someone else the hospital may need to gain their consent