Recite me link

The Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) offices at Tunbridge Wells and Maidstone hospitals are open to visitors from 11am to 3pm, Monday to Friday (excluding public and bank holidays).

No appointment is necessary, but if the team are already dealing with an enquirer when you arrive, you may be asked to wait.

Patients and relatives are still welcome to contact us by telephone on: 01892 632953 or 01622 224960.  If there is no-one available to answer your call, please leave a message on our voicemail facility and we will contact you as soon as possible.  Alternatively you can email us on mtw-tr.palsoffice@nhs.net.

If it matters to you, it matters to us…

The Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) offers support, information and assistance to patients, relatives and visitors. PALS can:

  • help answer any questions you may have about Trust services
  • provide information on Trust services
  • record and pass on your comments and compliments
  • help resolve any concerns you have about the services provided at our hospitals
  • signpost you to our formal complaints process
  • help you access leaflets in other formats (e.g. Braille, large print, easy read, other languages)

You can also read our Patient Information Leaflet on PALS.

Unfortunately, PALS cannot give out clinical advice (including test results).  If you need clinical advice, we would encourage you to contact your GP or NHS 111 in the first instance.

Find and contact us

We have offices located at Maidstone Hospital and Tunbridge Wells Hospital, Pembury. Staff in either hospital can help you, regardless of which hospital you are calling about.

Maidstone Hospital

Located on ground floor, just past Costa Coffee Opening hours: 11am – 3pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays) Telephone: 01622 224960 (If the team is busy, your call may be directed to our answer machine. Please leave a message and we will return your call as soon as possible.  Messages are checked regularly throughout the day.)  SMS Text: 07736 195022 RNID Typetalk: dial 18002 followed by 01622 224960 Email: mtw-tr.palsoffice@nhs.net

Tunbridge Wells Hospital

Located on level 0, main entrance and turn right Opening hours: 11am – 3pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays) Telephone: 01892 632953 (If the team is busy, your call may be directed to our answer machine. Please leave a message and we will return your call as soon as possible.  Messages are checked regularly throughout the day.)  SMS Text: 07736 195024 RNID Typetalk: dial 18002 followed by 01622 224960 Email: mtw-tr.palsoffice@nhs.net

You can also write to us at: PALS Team Leader Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, Maidstone Hospital, Hermitage Lane, Kent, ME16 9QQ

Patient transport complaints

From 1 July 2016, the patient transport service for patients attending Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells Hospital has been provided by G4S.  We hope that they provide you with a high standard of service, but if you have any concerns or complaints about their service, please contact them directly at: Telephone: 0800 096 0211 email: km.pts1@nhs.net, or, by post, Kent and Medway PTS Contract, Swift House, 18 Hoffmanns Way, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 1GU. Feedback can also be given online at www.km-pts.co.uk

Frequently asked questions

Your common questions answered:

How can I obtain a copy of my / my relative's hospital notes (health records)?

You can find information on accessing healthcare records here.

Can my appointment be brought forwards?

Appointments are made in accordance with clinical need.  If your condition has significantly changed since you were referred to the hospital (if you are awaiting your first appointment) or since you were last seen in clinic, you should contact your GP who can reassess the clinical urgency and let our specialists know.  Any queries relating to appointments should be directed to the appropriate clinical administration unit – their contact details will be on your appointment letter.  Unfortunately, PALS do not have the facility to make appointments or change appointment dates.

Can my admission date be brought forwards?

Planned or elective admissions are arranged in accordance with clinical need.  If your condition has significantly changed since you were placed on the waiting list or since you were last seen in clinic, you should contact your GP who can reassess the clinical urgency and let our specialists know.  Any queries relating to admission dates should be directed to the appropriate clinical administration unit – their contact details will be on your admission letter.  Unfortunately, PALS do not have the facility to arrange or change admission dates.

My last admission to hospital was cancelled. Can you guarantee it won’t happen again?

Unfortunately, we can never offer such a guarantee, due to the unpredictable nature of the hospital environment. Both our hospitals have busy emergency departments which mean we cannot always be certain about the number of patients who may need to be admitted as an emergency. We monitor our bed situation extremely closely and will do all we can to honour admission arrangements. However, patient safety is our priority and we will not compromise this.

Some items of property went missing during my recent admission. Will you reimburse me?

We discourage patients from bringing valuable items in to hospital with them, to reduce the risk of items being lost or damaged.  However, we realise that some items are essential, such as glasses, dentures and hearing aids.  If you have any of these items with you, please make sure that the nursing team are aware.  In the unfortunate event that items go missing, we will consider reimbursement on a case by case basis.  In most cases, if you had capacity (i.e. were aware and able to make decisions for yourself), we will expect you to be responsible for any belongings not handed over to staff for safe keeping.  Any decision to reimburse will be taken by senior staff responsible for the ward or department concerned.  Please put any request in writing to the PALS Team, who will forward this on to the relevant person for their decision.

I’m a Blue Badge holder. Why am I being charged for parking?

During the building stage of our new Tunbridge Wells Hospital, a number of public meetings took place in and around Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells. At these meetings the topic of access, and in particular car parking, was raised. During these meetings, our patients who held a Blue Badge told us they did not wish to be treated any differently from other hospital users and it was after these meetings that the Trust board made a decision to introduce car parking charges for Blue Badge holders across both Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells Hospital sites.  We recognise that those on low incomes can find travel expenses difficult to meet.  Further advice on help with travel costs can be found here.