§ 19. Mr. Patrick HallTo ask the Secretary of State for Health when patient advocacy liaison services will be available to patients in the primary care sector. [151967]
§ Ms StuartChapter 10 of the NHS Plan states that Patient Advocacy and Liaison Services (PALS) will be established in every Trust, beginning with every major hospital, by 2002. It is anticipated that Primary Care Trusts will also have PALS services available by that date. Health authorities will be working with Primary Care Groups to ensure that they make PALS services available in the run up to them reaching PCT status.