We were set up by Parliament to provide an independent complaint handling service for complaints that have not been resolved by the NHS in England and UK government departments.
We share findings from our casework to help Parliament scrutinise public service providers. We also share our findings more widely to help drive improvements in public services and complaint handling.
Our role
We combine the two statutory roles of Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (the Parliamentary Ombudsman) and Health Service Commissioner for England (Health Service Ombudsman). Our powers are set out in the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 and the Health Service Commissioners Act 1993. Read more about the legislation which governs our work and about the Government’s plans to introduce a new Public Service Ombudsman.
We are not part of government or the NHS in England. We are neither a regulator nor a consumer champion.
We are accountable to Parliament and our work is scrutinised by the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee.
Our Board
We are governed by a unitary, decision-making board of executives and non-executives. Their purpose is to lead, provide stewardship and to preserve and build our reputation.
Our non-executive Board members bring an external perspective to our corporate governance. They come from diverse professional backgrounds and bring a wide range of experiences.