§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that the Patients Advocacy Liaison Service will be(a) accessible to the least mobile older people and (b) independent of the NHS. [144190]
§ Ms Stuart[holding answer 8 January 2001]: The Patients Advocacy Liaison Service will act as a welcoming point for patients and carers and will also be a clearly identifiable information point in every National Health Service trust and primary care trust. It will be reasonably accessible to all patients, including the least mobile. PALS will be integral to the NHS and will have independence to fulfil its responsibilities. The role of the Patient Advocacy and Liaison Service will be to resolve the concerns of patients and their families quickly and where possible informally. Where patients do not feel their problems are being resolved satisfactorily, they may wish to progress the matter formally and potentially seek additional support from a local advocacy service that will be available to them from outside the trust. The detail of these arrangements will be discussed during Committee Stage of the Health and Social Care Bill.