Patient Advice and Liaison Service

HC Deb 22 January 2003 vol 398 cc394-5W

Dr. Starkey

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department will check that each NHS trust has instituted a Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) before community health councils are abolished; where a suitable PALS has not been implemented in an area, if he will extend the life of the local community health council to maintain cover; and whose responsibility it is to ensure a PALS is instituted before the relevant community health council is abolished. [91862]

Mr. Lammy

Patient advice and liaison services (PALS) are not linked to the abolition of Community Health Councils (CHCs). CHCs will be replaced by a new system of patient and public involvement, based on local authority scrutiny of health services and the establishment of the Commission of Patient and Public Involvement in Health and Patients' Forums.

PALS are an additional resource, providing a responsive service for patients, their families and carers.

The Department has commissioned a mapping exercise of PALS implementation, due for completion at the end of January. Initial responses indicate an 89 per cent. implementation rate. It is anticipated that all trusts will have implemented PALS by April 2003.