After suspending visiting earlier in the year, we are now able to offer limited visiting to some wards at the discretion of the nurse in-charge.”
Read more on visiting times...
We recognise the impact that a long stay in hospital can have on families and the importance of maintaining strong communication. Our ward staff are keeping in touch with patients’ next of kin directly and our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) can help pass on personal messages from family and friends.
After suspending visiting earlier in the year, we are now able to offer limited visiting to some wards at the discretion of the nurse in-charge.”
Read more on visiting times...
We recognise the impact that a long stay in hospital can have on families and the importance of maintaining strong communication. Our ward staff are keeping in touch with patients’ next of kin directly and our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) can help pass on personal messages from family and friends.
The Queen Alexandra Hospital is located just on the hill slopes of Portsdown Hill overlooking Portsmouth. It is conveniently situated for both the M27 and A3M.
Family members and carers play an important role in supporting patients during an episode of ill health. We are committed to the active involvement of family members, friends and carers during a hospital stay. Family members and carers play an important role in supporting patients during an episode of ill health.
More information on visiting hospital for an appointment.
If you've had experience of using our services and would like to make a comment then please contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS). Your views are very important to us and we would like to hear where you think improvements are needed or where things have gone so well that you would like to share your thanks or gratitude with the staff involved. When things have not gone so well then you can be sure that we want to hear from you, so please get in touch with PALS.
During your stay in hospital you will meet a number of different members of staff. All members of staff wear name badges, but if you are not sure who someone is or what they do, please feel free to ask them to introduce themselves and explain what they do.
If you have any questions about your treatment, please ask a doctor or a nurse.
There are lots of opportunities for you to get involved with the Trust, from volunteering to attending our public meetings, our Annual General Meeting or our hospital open day which is held every year.
We welcome and value your feedback and use the views you share with us in a number of ways to learn and make improvements as well as sharing best practice. Feedback can be provided in a number of ways.
Last updated: 17 February 2023
What is Speaking Up?
When things go wrong, we need to make sure that lessons are learnt, and things are improved.
If we think something might go wrong, it’s important that we all feel able to speak up to stop potential harm.
Even when things are good, but could be even better, we should feel able to say something and be confident that our suggestion will be used as an opportunity for improvement.
Who can speak Up?
Freedom to Speak Up is for anyone who works in health. This includes any healthcare professionals, non-clinical workers, senior, middle, and junior managers, volunteers, students, locum, bank and agency workers and former employees.
Everyone who works at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust should feel free to speak up, even when they are not sure whether there is a serious issue at stake or not.
You may be worried about raising a concern and we do understand this. In accordance with our duty of candour, our senior managers and Trust board are committed to an open and honest culture, we will investigate what you say, and you will have access to the support you need.
PHU colleagues can find more information on the staff intranet.
Patients and their families who have concerns or suggestions for improvement, should contact Patient advice and Liaison Services (PALS).
Our Freedom to Speak Up Guardian is Jenny Michael.
guardianforstaff@porthosp.nhs.uk
Ext 3641
When you raise an issue with a Freedom To Speak Up (FTSU) Guardian, you might not be sure how best to pursue it, or even whether you’ve come to the right place, so we’ll take some time to clarify your issue with you and then help you decide.
For example, it may be that you then want to speak to your manager, a colleague, Trades Union Representative or HR yourself, or you may want support from FTSU for the issue to be raised. You can raise issues in confidence if you’d like or even anonymously, although that may make it more difficult if we need more information or need to feed back to you.
Our FTSU guardians aim to amicably resolve issues at the lowest practical level, and this happens in most cases. However in some cases, where appropriate, FTSU may commission a review to look at bigger problems and solutions.
Our FTSU guardians also raise the live issues within their areas regularly (within the bounds of confidentiality) with senior managers and senior FTSU guardian links for that area, particularly where an issue is proving difficult or slow to resolve.
Speaking up has no limitations – it is about anything which gets in the way of patient care and worker safety or wellbeing.
The term ‘whistleblowing’ and ‘speaking up’ are often used interchangeably. They can cover raising matters about a wide range of legal and ethical issues.
We are working to make speaking up business as usual. This means being able to speak up about anything – whether that’s something that doesn’t feel right or an idea for improvement. You should feel confident that your voice will be listened to and action taken.
The term ‘whistleblowing’ can have negative connotations which may be a barrier to speaking up. Some people associate ‘whistleblowing’ with a formal process, or a matter that is escalated outside an organisation.
You can speak up about anything that gets in the way of patient care.
This could be something which doesn’t feel right, for example a way of working or a process which isn’t being followed, or behaviours of others which you feel is having an impact on the wellbeing of you or the people around you.
Speaking up is about all these things.
