How do people find out about our service?
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‘Glad that people are there for me and willing to get things done!’
Complainant
Our research surveys ask people how they find out about our service. As the charts below show, the Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS) – an advocacy service which helps people raise concerns about NHS care or treatment – is the main way in which people who want to complain about the NHS find out about our service.
MPs also play a key role in telling people about the Ombudsman. In total, 16 per cent of our complainants find out about our service this way. This is mainly because members of the public wishing to complain about a Government department or agency must be referred to the Ombudsman by a Member of Parliament.
The internet is also an important tool in helping people find and get in touch with us. We are committed to ensuring that our website is easy to find and navigate for those wanting to know if we can help.
We are still investigating some health complaints inherited from the Healthcare Commission, which closed on 31 March 2009. As these complaints are resolved, the number of complainants who found out about us from the Healthcare Commission (14 per cent) will fall.
