Complaint to Parliamentary or Local Government Ombudsman
Formal complaint letter to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) or Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) about maladministration or service failure by a public body.
This template was not drafted by a solicitor.
It is an editorial reference based on the official sources we cite. You are responsible for any document you send. For high-stakes matters (court proceedings, large sums, deportation, criminal allegations, child welfare), have a regulated solicitor review or draft your document.
When to use this template
Use this letter to submit a formal complaint to either the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) โ for government departments and NHS bodies โ or the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) โ for local councils, adult social care, and local NHS services โ after exhausting the internal complaints procedure of the public body. The ombudsman can recommend remedies including financial compensation, apologies, and service improvements, though their decisions are not legally binding.
When NOT to use this template
Both ombudsmen require you to exhaust the public body's own complaints procedure before they will investigate. The PHSO can currently only be accessed through an MP โ contact your local MP to forward your complaint. The LGSCO can be contacted directly. Do not use this if you have already issued judicial review proceedings or if limitation periods for court action are about to expire โ judicial review and ombudsman complaints are alternative routes.
Legal Basis
Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 (PHSO); Local Government Act 1974 (LGSCO); Health Service Commissioners Act 1993 (NHS ombudsman). The ombudsmen investigate maladministration and service failure. Complaints to the LGSCO should generally be submitted within 12 months of when the complainant first became aware of the problem. The PHSO has no fixed time limit but expects complaints to be brought within 12 months of the events complained of.
Before you send
- Contacting the PHSO directly without first routing through your MP โ the PHSO requires an MP referral for most complaints (parliamentary convention)
- Submitting before exhausting the internal complaints procedure โ both ombudsmen will return the complaint without investigation
- Being vague about what injustice you suffered โ specify financial loss, distress, time wasted, or specific impact
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- โContacting the PHSO directly without first routing through your MP โ the PHSO requires an MP referral for most complaints (parliamentary convention)
- โSubmitting before exhausting the internal complaints procedure โ both ombudsmen will return the complaint without investigation
- โBeing vague about what injustice you suffered โ specify financial loss, distress, time wasted, or specific impact
- โNot enclosing copies of the key correspondence โ the ombudsman needs to see the complaint and the public body's final response
Build Your Letter
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Letter preview
[YOUR FULL NAME] [YOUR ADDRESS] [YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS] [DATE OF LETTER] [LGSCO:] Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman PO Box 4771 Coventry CV4 0EH [OR for NHS / government:] Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Millbank Tower Millbank London SW1P 4QP --- Dear Sir or Madam, **FORMAL COMPLAINT โ [NAME OF THE PUBLIC BODY YOU ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT]** I am writing to make a formal complaint against [NAME OF THE PUBLIC BODY YOU ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT] and to request that your office investigate the matter. **The Public Body** Name: [NAME OF THE PUBLIC BODY YOU ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT] Type: [Local authority / NHS Trust / Government department โ delete as applicable] **My Complaint** [CLEAR SUMMARY OF YOUR COMPLAINT] **The Injustice I Have Suffered** As a result of the failures described above, I have suffered the following injustice: [THE INJUSTICE OR HARM YOU HAVE SUFFERED] **Steps Already Taken** I submitted a formal complaint to [NAME OF THE PUBLIC BODY YOU ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT] on [DATE YOUR COMPLAINT WAS SUBMITTED TO THE PUBLIC BODY]. I received a final response on [DATE OF THE PUBLIC BODY'S FINAL RESPONSE (IF RECEIVED)], a copy of which I enclose. I am not satisfied with the response because: [WHY YOU ARE DISSATISFIED WITH THE PUBLIC BODY'S RESPONSE]. [OR: I have not received a final response within 12 weeks, which I understand means I can now refer the matter to your office.] **Outcome Sought** I am seeking the following remedy from the public body: [THE REMEDY YOU ARE SEEKING] **Documents Enclosed** I enclose the following documents: 1. My original complaint to [NAME OF THE PUBLIC BODY YOU ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT]. 2. [NAME OF THE PUBLIC BODY YOU ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT]'s final response (if received). 3. [ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS ENCLOSED] I confirm that I have not issued court proceedings in relation to this matter. Yours faithfully, [YOUR FULL NAME]
Unfilled fields appear as [FIELD NAME]. Review the letter carefully before sending. This template is a starting point โ adapt it to your specific circumstances.