Patient Advice and Liaison Services

HC Deb 17 March 2003 vol 401 cc557-8W

Dr. Richard Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the money held by NHS trusts for patient advice and liaison services is ring-fenced; and how many paid employees are working for the patient advice and liaison service in each trust. [102150]

Mr. Lammy

It is for local purchasers of treatment and care to decide upon the relative priorities of their allocations and assign funding accordingly. £10 million was included in the overall allocation for 2002–03, with the expectation that this would be used to support patient advice and liaison services (PALS) in national health service trusts and primary care trusts.

The Department does not hold details of the number of staff working within PALS. A recent mapping exercise completed in January 2003 showed that 94 per cent. of all trusts have established a PAL service.