AN NHS advice service for patients in the Winchester region has been hailed a great success by health care chiefs.

The Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) is a free, impartial and confidential service for anyone who wants advice, information or who may have a concern about the care provided by health services in the area.

PALS is primarily based at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester and has been operational as an integrated service between the healthcare trusts of Winchester and Eastleigh and Mid Hampshire since September 2002.

A meeting of the Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust was told that the service dealt with 572 issues between April 2003 and March 2003.

Pam Sorensen, Integrated PALS manager, explained how the service is getting busier with 207 of the inquiries being made in the first three months of 2003.

She said: "I do believe that if we were not here we would be missed but there is still a lot of people who do not know about PALS."

The service is being well used by patients, their carers and staff and regular visits are being made to other hospitals and GP practices in the region to increase participation.

Examples of work carried out by PALS in 2003 includes arranging meetings with bereaved relatives and consultants, supporting patients whose operations were cancelled and advising families who have a relative in hospital for a long period.

If you would like more information on PALS, telephone 01962 863535 or e-mail PALS@ weht.swest.nhs.uk.