Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Recensioni 

AVOID AVOID unless you like wasting time. PHSO will do everything in their power to avoid helping you. Go to your local MP instead. As per the other reviews, my caseworker disappeared on holiday for 3 weeks with no prior notification or cover in place. I also call for this 'organisation' to be disbanded because how can we have faith in the NHS when the PHSO is useless??

This ombudsman is not fit for purpose and should be disbanded. I couldn't imagine working for such a useless organisation, what a pointless existence. My caseworker took two years to do absolutely nothing and then use COVID as an excuse. They could have done that in the first place instead of asking me to repeatedly send information I'd sent which caused me even more distress. What is absolutely clear throughout and even in their final letter was that they hadn't bothered reading what I'd sent. He couldn't even spell my (famous) MP's name correctly. Don't waste your time using them , it will just cause you further anguish and stress. There are nothing but horrendous reviews and why would there not be with an organisation that has such little regard for people's lives.

I tried to get the PHSO to look into a complaint I had against the ICO not doing its job properly. It's not just the NHS that the PHSO "handle" complaints about. I'd sent the ICO written evidence (the police's own emails and a police report) showing that police had committed a number of serious data breaches, sending my personal data and protected characteristics to a private company without my knowledge or permission - and evidence that the police then concealed the evidence of the data breach after I made a Subject Access Request. The ICO decided that there was no case to answer, primarily it seems because the police told them that there was no case to answer, aided by the ICO studiously ignoring the evidence that I'd sent to them. Eventually the police admitted to the above (and paid damages), and only after I sent the incompetents at the ICO the written admission from the police did the ICO respond to say the police had indeed committed a serious data breach - no sh*t Sherlock! - and then the ICO said that they weren't going to do anything further. It was at least consistent behaviour, with them having done nothing useful in the first place. The ICO is worse than useless in my experience - riddled with unaccountable incompetents, who can't even be bothered to read the clear evidence under their nose - what do these people do? The PHSO told me that they couldn't investigate the ICO because it was their policy that they wouldn't investigate an issue if it could be resolved by taking the ICO to court. Anyone can take any organisation to court - it doesn't necessarily mean anything - so what is the point of the PHSO being appointed as the authority who handles complaints about the ICO, but then says that they can't because you can take the ICO to court? The PHSO then tried to justify their position by quoting the ICO's original letter back to me verbatim in parts - the very thing I was complaining about that had not been done properly in the first place was being quoted back to me as a reason for why they would not look into it any further. The PHSO have been utterly useless - I used to think that the Vogons were a caricature of civil servant like these, but I now believe that reality is worse than fiction - the only difference is I suspect that Vogon poetry is better than that of those at the PHSO. The ICO and the PHSO are such a waste of money - the government needs to wake up and do something about it - it would be much better if the money wasted on the PHSO and ICO went to pay for something beneficial for the UK public. The feedback on Trustpilot seems fairly damning to me - and whilst I know people are usually more motivated to complain - 98% negative reviews is a difficult thing to argue against. I suppose those who can't make the grade for being proper civil servants need to find jobs somewhere - maybe we'd have more phone box sanitisers if the PHSO and ICO didn't exist - or maybe the lack of phone boxes accounts for the existence of the ICO and PHSO in the first place. By all means try to ask the PHSO to look into a complaint - but in my experience - and it seems in the experience of 98% of people who have reviewed them - they seem to be more interested in protecting the very organisations that they are supposed to be looking into.

I was told after initial contact and complaint
Letter that only the most serious cases were taken on so mine was being passed to a Senior Caseworker. ( No complaint about
My caseworker, polite and seemingly sympathetic.) My Brother had died only hours after a fall. My case after a long drawn out wait was in no part upheld I didn’t think to check on the reviews of The PHSO - it being an official body - But after my experience I have to agree with all the negative reviews
As someone stated they appear to be a buffer against the complainant and the NHS
They know people can’t afford Solicitors fees and after they make their final decision No Win No Pay Solicitors are usually reluctant to take these cases on. They’re know as Low Value cases !!Hence you’re left upset and frustrated after all the correspondence explaining again and again to the PHSO exactly what your complaint is. I agree the millions spent on this service are a total waste.

I'm agog this dept has received any rating above 1star.
Bias, corrupt, apathetic, flawed, dept has no soul or empathy. Really think this department is the evil twin sister of the CMS..how do the staff sleep at night.

Can't even be bothered do anything, doesn't want take the case even though I'm not getting a response and iv had go through the same thing over and over for last 3 years. The government want save money this should be closed down as not fit for purpose. If you think people like this work for the government and supposed be impartial think again. No wonder schools failing and they can't control borders or run hospitals they to busy sitting on there back sides. Will be sending mps emails with a copy of this link as proof of poor these are and not fit for purpose and a waste of funding. The are only there to covers the government's back and shut down complaints from starting so it doesn't make them look bad.

Spent last 4 yrs collecting evidence to support my complaint. The PHSO advised me to continue writing to the organisation then after I'd done all that say they won't investigate. My Mum fell whilst in a care home. They lied about the cause and she severely fractured her lower leg but was left for 5 agonising weeks without any treatment but codeine. This caused her health to deteriorate and she suffered for 4mths before she died. I say died because she was given midazolam without any health assessment. An inquest typically found she died from frailty of old age with her fracture being a contributing factor. The care home owner could afford to pay for an investigation by his professional adviser which was biased towards the care home. Cos of this the joint working team won't investigate. Their report completely altered the reason for my complaint and they lied about what had really happened. It caused me considerable distress. I wish I had never complained to them because of the mental trauma it has caused me. They are despicable and take pride in the fact that they can find reasons for not investigating your complaint.

If i could give no stars i would of!
This is the biggest most corrupt group of people i've ever come across! They cover the NHS's arses and cover up the truth!
My poor dad waited over 6 hours for an ambulance and further waited almost 3 hours when in a&e, sadly died the following morning due to sepsis. They have ruled that the ambulance have done everything they could! I argued and was just ignored and fed back so much crap! Do not bother wasting your time! it took them over a year to give me a bogus reply. Thanks for wasting mine and my family's time of grief and making us relive the day our dad died over and over again! These people are not humans and have no emotion or sympathy sadly they just want to hurry on your case and cover up the truth. I don't care what anyone says if my dad was seen on time he would not of passed away. I really hope no one else has to go through the pain we have and led us down the garden path to then rip it from beneath us.

I was sent to my local A&E by my GP with a numb foot, suspecting serious spinal nerve damage. Following MRI, damage was identified by duty doctor - a senior decision make over-ruled the duty doctor, declaring that nothing was wrong with my spine, sending me back home after 48 hours in A&E back into the care of my GP. Month later, with problems walking, went to another hospital, after initial problems, had nerve decompression surgery & am now, virtually housebound & disabled & possibly facing further surgery. Did the ombudsman rule in my favour ? - NO . In my firm opinion, this organisation should be scrapped & replaced by a new, fully independent ombudsman service, with accountability.
It is not fit for purpose.

Please DONT EXPECT ANYTHIG AT ALL FROM THIS SERVICE
As other people said , their service will try to find any exuses to reject your case...
Its big corruption within the NHS , one day everything would be revealed...
* 43 billions Pounds spent for an APP Test and trace
* 410 billions pounds spent during the corona mainly paid to family and freind companies
When It comes to compensate people for the negligence and the trauma they suffered withing the NHS, the Ombudsman then will try anything to not consider your case...Its corruption more than anything elese

Disgusting waste of tax payer money. Completely useless, rude, and pointless organisation that need closing down.
I submitted a complaint against a government department with clear evidence of wrong doing. The PHSO won’t investigate and have me two separate excuses, neither of which made sense or related to my complaint against the government department and a scheme they run. They rudely told me my MP contacting them wouldn’t matter because they don’t answer to MPs. The problem is they’re another useless tax payer funded organisation that answers to and is accountable to no one! So they do what the hell they want and treat ordinary decent members of the public that are looking for help with absolute contempt while covering up wrong doing.

No wonder there is a mental health crisis in this country and scandals like the post office, infected blood, grenfell etc all escalated out of control.

Unless you have money in this country you are nothing and there is no one to help.

The health ombudsman service is a whole waste of time if the government want to save money then this service should axed. So it seems the NHS can treat you like s**t and get away with it well I hope it happens their relatives and see if they find it acceptable then. If you wasn’t interested in my complaint then you should have said that from the beginning save me writing it. State of this country is a joke.

My Cambodian wife and I had a torrid time with the Home Office during and after Covid. Their main fault was not replying to us or to our MP. In order to get a reply we registered a formal complaint and eventually extracted a reply 10 months later that was not satisfactory. We referred the case to the Independent Examiner of Complaints who fully upheld our complaint. For all the aggravation and extra costs incurred because of the Home Office's failure to respond - worries by the way on top of everyone else's about Covid - we were offered £500 compensation. The Ombudsman endorses that. It accords with their Principles of Remedy and Guidance on Financial Remedy. Apparently for a saga that began in July 2020 they say our "distress, worry and annoyance" lasted only up to 6 months. In fact it began to"diminish" only after March 2023 and it will never go away entirely.

Update 6/11/2024 PHSO sent me a questionnaire for feedback. Easy to guess my responses but does replying do any good?

Update 13 March 2025. I keep getting survey requests "what do I think of PHSO"? Well considering despite our complaint being full upheld and [token] compensation awarded, still Home Office not only holds back on paying that, but also doesn't reply to questions about why the scheme is so meagre, and apparently our now 5 year bad experience was assessed to be "distress, worry or annoyance" of only up to 6 months. My reply to the survey-folks: "Waste of time... just not interested in how to improve services, and much less that government officials must actually heed criticisms."

Update 16 June - Home Office still not paying-up compensation awarded, let alone giving explanations about delays and the way it was calculated.

Do not trust the PHSO.
In my case, the caseworker deliberately misquoted my statements or took them out of context in order to give a negative response to my claim. This was a well rehearsed, biased and dishonest response to defend staff members of HMCTS.

Absoloutly uselles, done everything possible to swerve taking on my complaint, i had the referel and an organisation they deal with , still kept ignoring what i was saying and repeating himself, till i got the hump and put the phone down .no wonder every other review is 1 star..im sure like myself that would be no stars ....if it was an option

A total waste of time. It is no wonder why so many public services fail the people they are supposed to be taking care of. The PHSO seems to be only there to give the impression of some degree of accountability.
They are antiquated, inefficient and lazy.
There is no point in contacting them because they are only going to tell you they DON'T CARE.

I'm afraid that if you have a genuine concern about a public service, the PHSO is not going to help you.

In other words: don't bother.

Terrible organisation do not put your trust into these people to do the right thing they won’t they ignore evidence and contradict absolutely everything whilst messing you about for two years and giving you hope that they will help you. Disgusting place not fit for purpose

How is this corrupt service allowed to continue, they are far from impartial and they allow The NHS to act with impunity!!!!

I am shocked at how blatantly corrupt The PHSO is, they ignore all evidence and close cases. This organisation needs to be investigated and shut down it is not independent it’s sole purpose is to protect the NHS and all of its negligence.

Sickening organisation!!!!!

Another toothless organisation. No investigation. Response a load of claptrap. Brushed it under the carpet. Welcome to Batshit Bonkers Britain were the poor and disabled are left to suffer injustice and the rest abuse their positions without an eyelid batted. Utterly disgusting and disgraceful. Don’t bother wasting your time.

What a complete and utterly useless and incompetent set of people.

For more than a year, they have done absolutely nothing except waste everybody’s time and sit on all the evidence.

Not once have they actually investigated the corrupt GP.

A year if nothing and then they close my complaint after doing nothing.

Absolutely shambolic