Patient Advice and Liaison Service NHS Devon , Plymouth and Torbay

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Patient Advice and Liaison Service NHS Devon ,
Plymouth and Torbay

• The work of PALS
• Patient transport
• Health and Wellbeing Boards

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PALS

• Providing information, advice, resolution of
  concerns, mediation and service improvement
• Working with the public and staff to learn and
  improve services

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Patient Advice and Liaison Service

• Created to provide a quick and informal route for
  patients, carers and staff to raise concerns
  about their healthcare services and get their
  problems resolved
• Confidential, based within NHS structures
• Seamless help for the public
• Using learning from patient experience to
  improve and change services

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PALS

• Present in
• Hospital Trusts
• Community Hospitals Care Services Trusts
• Mental Health Trusts
• Ambulance Trusts
• Primary Care Trusts

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Role of PALS in PCTs 1

• Supporting patients in their relationships with
  primary care by mediation, negotiation and
  investigation
• Maintaining positive working relationships with
  contractors and their staff
• GPs
• Dentists
• Pharmacies
• Opticians

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PALS role in PCTs 2

• Helping patients receiving care from a number of
  services or who fall between services
• Policy - prescribing, funding, national
  screening, travel costs, continuing healthcare
  processes, gaps in provision, NICE guidance, care
  pathways and local policy
• Commissioning and contracting - feeding in
  evidence from patients to improve and monitor
  provision
• Developing patient-focussed policies
  information Patient Transport, Being Open,
  Interpretation Communication support

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Who are our clients?

• Patients
• Carers
• Relatives
• Friends
• Staff
• Clergy
• MPs
• Voluntary agencies
• Statutory agencies
• Others.

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Patient Transport Forum
Who do we share work with?

• Devon wide forum
• Hospitals trusts , community service providers
• Mental health services
• Childrens services
• Transport providers
• Voluntary sector
• Patient groups and PALS clients
• Doctors and other staff
• Devon County Council

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Transport for patients covering

• Emergency ambulance transport
• Non emergency medical transport
• Supported Transport- provided by ambulance
  trusts, private ambulances
• Voluntary sector
• Public transport
• Independent travel

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Aims of new forum policy

• To improve services to patients
• To improve value for money
• To improve partnership working

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New Shared Patient Transport Policy

• Journeys undertaken to receive services under NHS
  Act 2006 which are not primary medical or primary
  dental care
• Eligibility for transport based on medical need
  criteria
• Eligibility for discretionary assistance with
  transport e.g. frequent users
• Eligibility for reimbursement under the
  Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) and the
  procedure for applying for reimbursement

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Help with cost of travel

• Emergency and medical non urgent is free from NHS
• For other options some patients may have help
  with their costs
• Those on certain means tested benefits
• Those with low incomes and moderate/low savings.

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Priorities for next steps

• Maintain Single Points of Contact- NHS funding to
  support role of voluntary sector
• Train staff from all agencies
• Improve consistency of reimbursement
• Expand sharing of vehicles , joint working and
  improved management of demand and booking systems

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Single points of contact

• Assess patients needs for medical transport
• Make bookings for medical transport with NHS
  providers
• Advise patients on alternative options
• Use their local knowledge to solve problems
• Monitor problems and liaise with NHS to resolve
  for individuals and agencies

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Health and wellbeing boards

• New, coterminous with local authority areas
• Reps from senior councillors and managers for
  Health, Childrens Services and Adult Social Care,
• Healthwatch,
• Clinical Commissioning Organisations,
• Public Health,
• District Councils.
• Shadow role until April 2013.

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Role of the Health and Wellbeing Board

• A forum for key leaders from the health, public
  health and care systems to work together
• To improve the health and wellbeing of the
  population and reduce health inequalities.
• To understand communities needs, agree
  priorities and encourage commissioners to work in
  a more joined up way.
• With a duty to encourage integrated working for
  the purpose of advancing the health and wellbeing
  of the people in its area.
• Shadow Health and Wellbeing Boards by April
  2012 followed by statutory Health and Wellbeing
  Boards by April 2013. 
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Priorities

• draw on joint strategic needs assessments and
  joint health and wellbeing strategies
• establish a wider Health and Wellbeing network to
  engage the range of agencies, organisations and
  groups that influence the health and wellbeing of
  people in Devon
• ensure the delivery of improved health and
  wellbeing outcomes for the population of Devon,
  with a specific focus on reducing inequalities
• improve the health and wellbeing of children and
  families with complex needs

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Useful sources of information

• www.devonpct.nhs.uk
• for PALS and Patient Transport
• http//www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcosts/Pages/Tra
  velcosts.aspx
• for information on travel cost help
• http//www.devonhealthandwellbeing.org.uk/
• for latest information on Health and Wellbeing
  Board