PHSO is the final-stage ombudsman for complaints about the NHS in England and UK government departments and certain other public bodies.
You normally complain to the organisation first. PHSO can investigate poor service and maladministration and uses Principles of Good Administration, Good Complaint Handling and Remedy to explain the standards it expects.
For UK government-department complaints there is a statutory MP referral requirement. For NHS complaints the route is different. PHSO has announced that it will become the Public Service Ombudsman from 1 October 2026, with its role and service remaining the same.
Key points
- NHS in England and UK government complaints have different procedural routes.
- Government-department complaints generally need an MP referral.
- PHSO considers maladministration/service failure and resulting injustice.
- Its Principles emphasise legality, reasons, record keeping, fairness, accountability and appropriate remedy.
Before PHSO
Give the organisation a proper opportunity to respond and obtain its final complaint response. For an NHS complaint, relevant local support can include PALS/Healthwatch; for a government-body complaint, check the MP referral step and time limit.
What PHSO looks for
PHSO’s Good Administration principles include acting lawfully and consistently with policy, taking relevant considerations into account, giving reasons, keeping proper records, treating people fairly and putting mistakes right. These principles can help you define a complaint about process rather than simply outcome.
Remedy
PHSO’s remedy principles aim, where possible, to restore the person to the position they would have been in absent the fault. Where that cannot be done, an appropriate alternative remedy may include apology, practical action or financial payment reflecting the injustice.
In practice
- For public-body complaints, save the policy/guidance the decision-maker was meant to follow.
- Explain the administrative fault and the resulting injustice separately.
- Check the one-year statutory timing rules and do not leave referral to the last moment.
What to do
A practical next-step plan
- Complete the organisation’s complaint process.
- Identify whether the complaint is NHS or government/public-body.
- Check time limits and MP referral requirements.
- Map fault, evidence, injustice and remedy.
- Refer with the final response and core records.
Common traps
Things that often confuse the issue
- Using PHSO for a council complaint that belongs with LGSCO.
- Ignoring the MP referral requirement for government complaints.
- Treating the Principles as automatic legal causes of action rather than ombudsman standards.
Evidence worth keeping
Where to go next
If PHSO cannot investigate, use its guidance on alternative bodies and consider whether a statutory appeal/court route has its own deadline.
Understand what the outcome can and cannot do
PHSO remedies focus on putting the person back in the position they should have been in where possible and addressing injustice, learning and service improvement. If challenging PHSO’s own handling, identify a reviewable error in process, evidence or reasoning rather than simply re-arguing the original complaint.
Keep the routes separate.
Regulator, ombudsman/ADR, statutory appeal and court proceedings can have different purposes, powers and deadlines. Using one route does not automatically preserve another.
Build the complaint for an independent reader
Use PHSO’s own administrative standards where relevant, but ground the complaint in evidence: what the organisation should have done, what it did, the service or decision failure, and the injustice caused. For clinical complaints, separate factual records, clinical opinion and complaint-handling failures.
| If they say… | What to check or say back |
|---|---|
| “You need an MP for every PHSO complaint.” | The MP filter applies to the parliamentary/government-service jurisdiction, not the NHS route in the same way. |
| “You are unhappy with the outcome, therefore this is maladministration.” | Identify a service, process, reasoning or administrative failure rather than mere disagreement. |
| “The local process is still open indefinitely.” | Preserve evidence of chasing; PHSO publishes guidance for complaints not dealt with after six months. |
| “There is another appeal route.” | Assess whether PHSO can or should investigate given that alternative remedy. |
Check jurisdiction and timing before writing the full case
Do the gateway checks first. A perfectly argued complaint can still fail if it is sent to the wrong body, too early, too late or against a respondent outside the scheme.
- Complain to the organisation first and obtain its final response or evidence of unreasonable delay.
- For NHS complaints, the underlying local complaint is normally expected within 12 months of the event/awareness, subject to discretion; PHSO guidance says you can approach it once the local process ends or if the complaint has not been dealt with after six months.
- For UK government service complaints, use the MP referral route required for the parliamentary jurisdiction.
- Check subject matter, time and whether another legal/appeal remedy affects PHSO jurisdiction.
Is Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) actually the right body?
PHSO covers complaints about the NHS in England and UK government departments/public organisations within its jurisdiction. The entry route differs: NHS complaints can be taken to PHSO directly after the local process, while complaints about UK government services normally require referral through an MP.
Local councils in England generally fall under LGSCO, social landlords under Housing Ombudsman, and devolved public services can fall under PSOW, SPSO or NIPSO. Do not send a complaint to PHSO merely because the respondent is “public sector”.
Official sources
Check the rules behind this guide
- PHSO - Making a complaint
- PHSO - What to do before you come to us
- PHSO - Principles of Good Administration
These are official or primary sources for this topic. Rules, scheme terms and deadlines can change, so check the live source before relying on a formal time limit or procedure.