Current visiting times

We know how important it is for patients and families to be able to see visitors. Please help us keep our patients and staff as safe as possible by checking the guidance below before you visiting. 

Read more on visiting times...


Messages for loved ones and keeping in touch

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 Voluntary Services team can help pass on personal messages from family and friends.

Read more information about messages for loved ones…

Current visiting times

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...


Messages for loved ones and keeping in touch

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.

Read more information about messages for loved ones…

Our Strategy – Working Together, Improving Together

Our strategy sets out our vision, values, strategic aims and most importantly, how we will deliver against these ambitions for our patients, communities, and people in the future.

It is not just a document, it is for and about everyone at PHU, building on what we have achieved with a renewed focus on continuous improvement and the need to continue to work together and improve together to achieve our goals. 

A full copy of the strategy can be downloaded here.

For more information, please visit our strategy webpage.

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.

Complaints and Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)

Last updated: 23 March 2021

A level map

Comments, concerns, complaints and compliments

We want all our patients to have the best possible experience when they come into our hospital . We want to hear what patients, families and carers have to say so that we can understand what matters most. We will use their feedback to improve our services.

We also want to know when things have gone well so that we can tell our teams and improve the organisation. We also need to know when things have not gone well so that we can identify and act on areas for improvement.

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)

Our Patient Advice and Liaison Service staff will listen to your concerns and questions . They will help you with any problems you have about your visit to the hospital. PALS can also try to answer any questions you have about the hospital. They also provide information about other organisations or groups that may be helpful. The team will help to resolve situations as quickly as possible. You can contact the PALS team on 023 9228 6309 or PHT.PALS@porthosp.nhs.uk

How to contact us

Webform: Click here to contact the team online

Telephone: Free phone 0800 917 6039 or 023 9228 6309

Email: PHT.PALS@porthosp.nhs.uk

 

If you would like to register a formal complaint, please contact:

Telephone: 023 9228 6530 or 023 9228 6000 (ext. 3473)

Email: PHU.Complaints@porthosp.nhs.uk

Write to us: Complaints Team, Queen Alexandra Hospital, Southwick Hill Road, Cosham, PO6 3LY


COMMENTS: We want to use your feedback to improve our service. So please get in touch with PALS if you have any suggestions of how to make things better. PALS will listen and pass your comments on so that we can make improvements for you as well as our future patients.

COMPLIMENTS: You can also contact PALS to tell us if a member of staff has helped you and you want to say thank you. We will pass your message to the member of staff or ward.

CONCERNS AND COMPLAINTS: We know that in a busy hospital , sometimes things can go wrong. When this happens we want to encourage you to speak up. By sharing your concerns you can also help us make sure that others don’t have the same poor experience. We know that it can feel difficult to raise a concern, but we want to know when you have concerns. Please speak to a senior member of staff in the area where the problem happened. Or, you can talk to one of our PALS Team.

FORMAL COMPLAINTS PROCESS: If PALS haven’t been able to sort things out, then you can make a formal complaint. Complaints help us to learn from your experiences and improving our services. The Complaints Team can give you help, advice and support in making a complaint. They can help you find an advocate who can support your through the complaints process. If you would like to make a complaint, you should do this as soon as possible. Usually, we will investigate complaints that are:

  • made within 12 months of the event, or
  • made within 12 months of you realising you were unhappy about a specific situation or event

 

When we get your complaint, we will contact you within three working days to discuss it. We will agree a way forward on how you would like your concerns dealt with. If we are unable to contact you by telephone, we will acknowledge receipt of your letter in writing. Can I complain on behalf of someone else? You can send us a complaint on behalf of someone else. If you do this, we will ask their permission to share confidential and personal information with you. We will undertake an investigation into all the concerns which you have raised. We will send you a written response within an agreed timescale. We encourage complainants to attend a meeting to help to resolve concerns at an early stage.

Investigation: Each complaint is investigated by senior staff in the care group where the problem happened. All complaint responses are agreed by the Trust’s executive team. We aim to respond within three months. Investigations can sometimes take longer than expected, but we will do our best to respond as soon as we can

Response: If the investigation is taking longer, we will let you know as soon as possible. We take all complaints and concerns very seriously. We have an open and honest approach to responding. When we find evidence of a failure or mistake we will tell you. We will provide you with an explanation of how this happened. We will also tell you what we are going to do to try to prevent it from happening again.

What if I am still not happy? If you are unhappy with the response to your complaint you can contact us again to explain why you are unhappy. If we cannot resolve your complaint you can ask the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman to review your complaint.

The PHSO considers complaints about poor treatment or services throughout the NHS in England. The service is independent, impartial and free. The PHSO investigates if there is evidence of hardship or injustice. You can contact the Ombudsman by calling 0345 015 4033

The Ombudsman's website address is: www.Ombudsman.org.uk)

or complete the form using the following link www.ombudsman.org.uk/make-a-complaint.



 

 

Opening hours

Complaints – 8:30am to 5pm

PALS – phone lines open between 8:30am to 4:30pm

PALS office open between 10am to 3pm

Where to find us

Located in the atrium on A level at QA Hospital.

Contact information

Complaints – 023 9228 6000 ext 3472

PALS – 0800 917 6039 or 023 9228 6309

 

103
Back to top
Working together to drive excellence in care for our patients and communities Page feedback Tell us what you think

Get in touch

Queen Alexandra Hospital,
Cosham,
Portsmouth,
PO6 3LY

  • 023 9228 6000

© 2023, Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust