Select committee: Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
The work and performance of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Open
Opened 23 Jan 2026
Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Inquiry scope (the committee's words)
The Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee scrutinises the work and performance of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. New Ombudsman Paula Sussex CBE has been in post since August 2025 and the Committee plans to hold an oral evidence session with her and other senior leaders in due course. The Committee is keen to examine the organisation’s priorities under new leadership, with the new corporate strategy due to be published soon, as well as its performance in handling individual complaints and utilising data to identify wider potential concerns in public sector administration. Read the call for evidence for more information. The Committee is keen to find out more about people's views of the PHSO's complaint handling process. If you have made a complaint to the PHSO in the last five years, please fill in the Committee's survey to share your experiences. The survey will close on Friday 27 February at 5pm.
Where it stands
The inquiry is open, opened 23 January 2026.
The committee has not published a report yet.
Evidence
- 1 oral evidence sessionLatest 24 March 2026
- 2 witnesses
Recent activity
- Letter from Paula Sussex CBE, Ombudsman and Chair, PHSO on the PHSO Report - Conversations that matter most: improving communication in end-of-life care, dated 7.7.2613 July 2026, Correspondence
- Letter from PHSOtheFACTS on the PHSO's oral evidence session on 24.3.26, dated 7.4.2628 April 2026, Correspondence
- Letter from Paula Sussex, PHSO Ombudsman and Chair on follow-up written evidence after the oral evidence session on 24.3.26, dated 10.4.2621 April 2026, Correspondence
Oral evidence sessions
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| Date | Session and witnesses | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 24 Mar 2026 |
Oral evidence session
Paula Sussex CBE,
Rebecca Hilsenrath KC (Hon) · Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
|
View ↗ |
Who gave evidence
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| Witness | Organisation | Sessions |
|---|---|---|
| Paula Sussex CBE | Not recorded | 1 |
| Rebecca Hilsenrath KC (Hon) · Chief Executive Officer | Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman | 1 |
Correspondence
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