Welcome to the website of the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales

The Ombudsman looks to see whether people have been treated unfairly or inconsiderately, or have received a bad service through some fault on the part of the public body providing it.  Putting that in more official terms, his main role is to look into complaints made by members of the public that they have suffered hardship or injustice through maladministration or service failure on the part of a public body within his jurisdiction.

The Ombudsman can look into complaints about local government, National Health Service organisations - including GPs - housing associations and the Welsh Assembly Government.  A full list of the type of organisations that the Ombudsman can consider complaints about is available here.

If you want you want to make a complaint to the Ombudsman about a public body, he will normally expect that you have first of all complained to the organisation concerned so that it may have an opportunity to respond to your concerns.  However, if you have already complained and you remain unsatisfied, then you can complain to the Ombudsman. His role and powers are defined by the Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Act 2005. 

The Ombudsman can also consider complaints that local authority members have broken their authority's code of conduct.  He considers such complaints under the provisions of Part III of the Local Government Act 2000 and also relevant Orders made by the National Assembly for Wales under that Act.

The current Ombudsman is Peter Tyndall.  The service that he and his staff provide is independent, impartial and free.