The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) provides an independent complaint handling service for complaints that have not been resolved by the NHS in England and UK government departments.
As a Parliamentary body, we share findings from our casework to help Parliament scrutinise public service providers. We do this by working with individual MPs on their local constituent’s complaints, as well as informing some inquiries of Parliamentary select committees.
We also share our findings more widely to help drive systemic improvements in public services and complaint handling.
We will be hosting a drop-in event in Parliament for MPs and their staff on Tuesday 1 April 2025, with support from the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC).
Date: Tuesday 1 April 2025
Time: 1:15pm to 4:45pm
Location: Room S, Portcullis House, Houses of Parliament
Agenda:
| 1:15pm to 1:20pm | Welcome from the Chair of PACAC, Simon Hoare MP |
| 1:20pm to 1:30pm | Introduction to the PHSO and our complaints service from the Interim Ombudsman, Rebecca Hilsenrath KC (Hon) |
| 1:30pm to 4:45pm | Drop-in to speak to us at a time of your convenience |
MPs and their staff will have the opportunity:
- to hear from the Chair of PACAC and the Ombudsman directly
- to find out more about the complaints process
- to meet with PHSO colleagues, including Senior Caseworkers
- to learn more about the role of the Ombudsman and how we help improve public services for your constituents.
You can also ask us about:
- any specific constituency complaint queries you have
- how many complaints we’ve received from your constituents in recent years and how this compares to other areas of the country
- any queries or issues you may have with your role in escalating complaints to the Ombudsman (also known as the ‘MP filter’).
Meet the Ombudsman
- Would you like to have an informal discussion with the Ombudsman?
- Do you have a query about a complaint you have recently referred?
- Would you like to find out more about our complaints process?
There are a limited number of slots available for MPs to have informal discussions about any individual complaints from your constituents, including those you are planning to refer to PHSO.
Places are very limited and will be issued on a first-come-first-serve basis. If you would like to book a 15 minute slot with the Ombudsman, please contact publicaffairs@ombudsman.org.uk by Friday 21 March 2025 and let us know:
- your preferred time slot(s) between 1:30pm and 4:45pm
- a brief description of what you would like to discuss (including any casework reference numbers if applicable).