PALS and asking for a review
PALS, the Patient Advice and Liaison Service, can help with questions, concerns and information about NHS care. You can also ask your maternity unit what options are available if you want to understand what happened, request your notes or arrange a birth reflections appointment.
Hear Her First is not a complaints service. It helps you prepare clear, calm wording so your concerns can be heard and reviewed by the right people.
Contacting PALS
“I would like to contact PALS to raise concerns about my maternity care. Please can you tell me how to do this at this hospital, what to expect and how long it usually takes?”
Requesting a review
“I would like help understanding my maternity care. I am not sure yet whether I want to make a formal complaint, but I would like to know what options are available to review what happened and answer my questions.”
Asking for a birth reflections appointment
“I would like to request a birth reflections appointment to go through my notes and have my questions answered by a senior midwife or obstetrician.”
Requesting notes
“Please can you tell me how to request a copy of my maternity notes and who can help me understand them once I receive them?”