From today the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman will be known as the Public Service Ombudsman.
But it’s not just a new name. The name itself speaks to something I've believed in throughout my career: a public sector that delivers a fair and effective service to citizens. My role as Ombudsman is to make sure that it does, and where it doesn't, work to drive improvements for everyone.
Earlier this year, we launched our strategy for 2026 to 2031, setting out how we'll increase our impact over the next five years. Our new name is part of delivering on that strategy. It will help more people find us and understand what we do, so they can get the support they need when a public service has let them down.
Why we're changing our name
We asked members of the public, public sector organisations and parliamentarians what they thought of our previous name. What we heard was clear: the name was confusing and the word 'Parliamentary' often led people to believe we investigate MPs, which we do not.
If people are unsure whether we're the right organisation to help them, they may not come to us at all. We listened to feedback and decided to change our name so more people can find us and understand what we do.
Finding a name that works
We set out to find a name that would work better for the people who need us. We tested several options with over 3,000 people across the UK, and Public Service Ombudsman came out on top.
It says what we do, simply and clearly. It reflects the breadth of our work and our wider mission to improve public services for everyone. We are the Public Service Ombudsman: we independently investigate complaints about the NHS in England and UK government services.
What stays the same
I want to be clear about what hasn't changed. We still investigate complaints about the NHS in England and more than 300 government departments and public bodies, just as we did before.
Our legal powers, our independence and our decision-making processes are exactly as they were. If you have a case with us you don't need to do anything differently. You may simply start seeing our new name and logo appear on letters and emails.
A new logo
We also have a new logo that reflects our role as an impartial arbiter. The design balances the words Public Service on the O of Ombudsman, to emphasise our fairness, impartiality and independence.
We tested a range of options with stakeholders, including our Public Engagement Advisory Group and organisations we investigate, and this design was the clear favourite. Its bold, simple style was felt to convey our values with confidence, while standing apart from other ombudsman organisations and public bodies.
Making it easier to use our service
Simply changing our name is not enough. We want to lead the way in how people and organisations experience our service, deploying technology while making sure it is still available to those who are less confident using it,who do not have access or who just want to talk to us on the phone. And we will always offer accessible alternatives, including Easy Read and British Sign Language (BSL).
New online accounts, launching next year, will make it easier for people to make complaints and for organisations to engage with us. Complainants and organisations will be able to share evidence securely, track the progress of a case, and see the decisions we've made and why.
We have a new website with a fresher, more modern look and feel. User research told us that our current site can be difficult to navigate and text heavy. So we've made several improvements, including simplified user journeys, improved signposting and clearer, more concise content.
Listening, investigating, pushing for change
Our name and logo have changed, but our purpose hasn't. We're still here to make sure public services treat people fairly, and to help put things right when they don't. That means continuing to listen, to investigate thoroughly and impartially, and to improve public services for everyone.