Patients Finance Department

This leaflet tells you about the Patients’ Finance Department within the Trust and what we can do to help you with your finances during your stay in hospital.

If you bring money or valuable property into hospital, please speak to a nurse if you wish to have it securely stored by the Trust. If you hand any money or valuable property in for safekeeping you will be given a receipt. Some ward bedrooms have a safe you can use but this should just be used to keep small amounts of cash in.

You can:
• deposit and withdraw your money
• have your benefits paid into your hospital bank account
• transfer money from your personal bank account to your hospital bank account
• pay your bills from your hospital bank account eg. rent, gas, electric or any other regular payments that you need to make
• we can order goods on-line using money from your hospital bank account eg. CDs, clothing

The Patients’ Finance Department can help to signpost you to online services if you need benefit advice.

Certain benefits, eg Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payments are affected by you coming into hospital so you need to tell the Department of Work and Pensions if your stay is more than 28 days.

We may be able to help you with travelling expenses if you are receiving certain benefits, please ask a member of our team for details.

Cashiers offices are located in the following hospitals:

• Carleton Clinic
• Ferndene
• Hopewood Park
• Monkwearmouth Hospital
• Northgate Hospital
• St Georges Park
• St Nicholas Hospital
• Walkergate Park

Other sites have facilities to access cash, please ask nursing staff for details or ring the Central Patients’ Finance Department.

Central Patients’ Finance Department
St Nicholas Hospital
Jubilee Road
Gosforth
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE3 3XT
Tel: 0191 246 7215 or 0191 246 7216
Email: [email protected]

You can ring us with your enquiries or, if you prefer, ask a member of ward staff to ring us on your behalf with your queries

An answer phone service is also in operation when the office is closed, simply leave your name, telephone number and message and your call will be returned as soon as possible.

If you want to make a comment, suggestion, compliment or complaint you can:
• talk to the people directly involved in your care
• ask a member of staff for a feedback form, or complete a form on the Trust website www.cntw.nhs.uk/contact/complaints/
• telephone the Complaints Department Tel: 0191 245 6672
• email [email protected] Please note that information sent to the Trust via email is sent at your own risk

We are always looking at ways to improve services. Your feedback allows us to monitor the quality of our services and act upon issues that you bring to our attention.

You can provide feedback in the following ways:
– the quickest way for you to do this is to complete our short online survey at www.cntw.nhs.uk/poy
– complete a Points of You survey, available on wards, reception areas or from staff
– other options for sharing your feedback and experience www.cntw.nhs.uk/yourfeedback

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
PALS provide confidential advice and support, helping you to sort out any concerns that you may have about any aspect of your or your loved ones care.

We act independently when handling patient and family concerns, liaising with staff, managers and, where appropriate, relevant organisations, to negotiate prompt solutions. If necessary, we can also refer patients and families to specific local or national-based support agencies.

PALS
Tel: 0800 032 0202
Email: [email protected]
Post: FREEPOST PALS

South of Tyne
Tel: 0800 328 4397
Text: 07825 061 035
Email: [email protected]
Post: Patient Advice and Liaison Service, Garden Lodge, Hopewood Park, Ryhope, Sunderland, SR2 0NB

9.00 am – 4.30 pm, Monday to Friday
An answerphone is available at all times for you to leave a message. A member of the PALS team will aim to return your call as soon as possible.

Further information about the content, reference sources or production of this leaflet can be obtained from the Patient Information Centre. If you would like to tell us what you think about this leaflet please get in touch.

This information can be made available in a range of formats on request (eg Braille, audio, larger print, easy read, BSL or other languages). Please contact the Patient Information Centre Tel: 0191 246 7288

Published by the Patient Information Centre
2024 Copyright, Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust
Ref, PIC/587/0124 January 2024 V6
www.cntw.nhs.uk Tel: 0191 246 7288
Review date 2027