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Our new strategy for 2026 to 2031
psussex
Tue, 04/21/2026 - 17:30
This year marks a new chapter for the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. We’ve announced our new five-year strategy - and I'm genuinely excited about what it means for the people we serve and the public services we all rely on.
Since taking up this post, I've been listening. I've spoken with complainants, ministers, MPs, clinicians, senior officials, regulators and frontline teams across health and government. Those conversations have grounded me in the realities that people experience every day, and shaped my view of the contribution we must make in the years ahead.
A system under pressure
Public services are under enormous pressure, and the need for ombudsman services has risen sharply as a result. Last year, the NHS received a record 256,777 written complaints, almost 14% higher than three years earlier. In the same period, my office considered more than 38,000 complaints and passed 9,700 for primary investigation – a 38% increase since 2021 to 2022.
Mistakes will happen. How those mistakes are addressed, and what is learned from them, is crucial. But there is a trust problem we need to confront honestly. Only one in four people believe their complaint will actually make a difference. That figure is even lower for younger people, disabled people and people from ethnic minority backgrounds. Public services only function well when people believe their voices count.
Every complaint is an opportunity to learn
The cost of not learning from complaints is significant. Statutory inquiries exceeded £130 million last year, and the NHS spent billions addressing harm that could and should have been prevented. Every complaint is a signal that something has gone wrong. People need to know their voice won't disappear into the system and that it will lead to meaningful change.
That's why our new strategy makes a deliberate shift towards a more active role in using complaints data and wider evidence to identify risks, prevent harm and strengthen accountability, alongside continuing to deliver fair outcomes for individuals.
Our three priorities
Our strategy is built around three priorities:
Driving public service improvement by focusing on systemic issues, making evidence and data more accessible, working with partners to set standards and tracking the impact of our recommendations.
Improving the user experience by creating a clearer, more accessible and person-centred service, using digital tools and AI-enabled pathways to reduce delays and improve engagement.
Raising awareness and trust by building a stronger identity, supporting parliamentary scrutiny and reaching underrepresented groups whose voices are too often unheard.
Working with Parliament
As an Ombudsman accountable to Parliament, our relationship with individual MPs and parliamentary committees is one of our most powerful levers for change. When Parliament understands what we're seeing in complaints, it can use that knowledge to strengthen accountability across government and the NHS. That partnership is central to everything we're trying to achieve.
A new name for a new chapter
Part of building a stronger, more recognisable identity means being honest about our current limitations. Research has shown that our name can be confusing, making it harder for people to find us and understand what we do. With that in mind, from late 2026 we will become the Public Service Ombudsman. You can read more about the change on our website.
This isn't a change for its own sake. In an environment where demand for ombudsman services is rising, we want to make navigating the complaints landscape as straightforward as possible.
Our new name reflects our mission: a clear, recognisable identity so that people can find us, understand what we do and trust our role in shaping better public services.
Looking ahead
I am excited to begin this new stage in our journey. By listening carefully, working in genuine partnership and acting on what we learn, we can help build a system that is more responsive to the people it serves — one where people are heard, their concerns addressed and learning is put into action for the good of everyone.
View our new strategy.
21 April 2026
This year marks a new chapter for the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. We’ve announced our new five-year strategy - and I'm genuinely excited about what it means for the people we serve and the public services we all rely on.
Since taking up this post, I've been listening. I've spoken with complainants, ministers, MPs, clinicians, senior officials, regulators and frontline teams across health and government. Those conversations have grounded me in the realities that people experience every day, and shaped my view of the contribution we must make in the years ahead.
A system under pressurePublic services are under enormous pressure, and the need for ombudsman services has risen sharply as a result. Last year, the NHS received a record 256,777 written complaints, almost 14% higher than three years earlier. In the same period, my office considered more than 38,000 complaints and passed 9,700 for primary investigation – a 38% increase since 2021 to 2022.
Mistakes will happen. How those mistakes are addressed, and what is learned from them, is crucial. But there is a trust problem we need to confront honestly. Only one in four people believe their complaint will actually make a difference. That figure is even lower for younger people, disabled people and people from ethnic minority backgrounds. Public services only function well when people believe their voices count.
Every complaint is an opportunity to learnThe cost of not learning from complaints is significant. Statutory inquiries exceeded £130 million last year, and the NHS spent billions addressing harm that could and should have been prevented. Every complaint is a signal that something has gone wrong. People need to know their voice won't disappear into the system and that it will lead to meaningful change.
That's why our new strategy makes a deliberate shift towards a more active role in using complaints data and wider evidence to identify risks, prevent harm and strengthen accountability, alongside continuing to deliver fair outcomes for individuals.
Our three prioritiesOur strategy is built around three priorities:
As an Ombudsman accountable to Parliament, our relationship with individual MPs and parliamentary committees is one of our most powerful levers for change. When Parliament understands what we're seeing in complaints, it can use that knowledge to strengthen accountability across government and the NHS. That partnership is central to everything we're trying to achieve.
A new name for a new chapterPart of building a stronger, more recognisable identity means being honest about our current limitations. Research has shown that our name can be confusing, making it harder for people to find us and understand what we do. With that in mind, from late 2026 we will become the Public Service Ombudsman. You can read more about the change on our website.
This isn't a change for its own sake. In an environment where demand for ombudsman services is rising, we want to make navigating the complaints landscape as straightforward as possible.
Our new name reflects our mission: a clear, recognisable identity so that people can find us, understand what we do and trust our role in shaping better public services.
Looking aheadI am excited to begin this new stage in our journey. By listening carefully, working in genuine partnership and acting on what we learn, we can help build a system that is more responsive to the people it serves — one where people are heard, their concerns addressed and learning is put into action for the good of everyone.
View our new strategy.