Paula SussexRegulator

Biography

Paula Sussex CBE is the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO), appointed by His Majesty King Charles and having taken up the role on 1 August 2025. PHSO independently investigates unresolved complaints about the NHS in England and UK government departments and other public bodies. Sussex is a graduate of the London Business School and a trained barrister, and previously served as CEO of the Student Loans Company (2018–2022), the Charity Commission (2014–2017), and fintech firm OneID (2023–2025). She was awarded a CBE in 2022 for services to higher education. In her public statements she has argued that complaints should be treated as a force for systemic improvement in public services, and has publicly supported the Hillsborough Law Bill's Duty of Candour provisions as a means of rebuilding public trust in the NHS and government.

References

1. 1.Paula Sussex is named new Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman | PHSO — Confirms appointment, start date, educational background (London Business School, barrister), prior roles (OneID, Student Loans Company, Charity Commission), and CBE
2. 2.The Ombudsman | Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) — Official PHSO staff page confirming current role, start date, and career background
3. 3.Appointment of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman | PACAC — Confirms parliamentary scrutiny and PACAC endorsement of the appointment; five-year fixed term
4. 4.Paula Sussex comments on Hillsborough Law Bill as it is debated in Parliament | PHSO — Establishes her public advocacy on duty of candour, complaint culture, and NHS accountability
5. 5.

Expertise

Cited on

• Hospital discharge / bed-blocking

Stated areas of expertise

• NHS complaints and redress
• Public service accountability
• Patient safety
• Ombudsman reform
• Systemic improvement in public services
• Duty of candour

Notable achievements

• Appointed Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman by His Majesty King Charles, having been recommended by a cross-party appointment panel and confirmed by Parliament's Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, taking up the role on 1 August 2025. Source ↗
• Awarded a CBE in 2022 for services to higher education, reflecting her tenure as CEO of the Student Loans Company from 2018 to 2022. Source ↗
• Appointment confirmed by the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) following a formal pre-appointment hearing, with the committee satisfied she has the personal independence and professional skills for the role. Source ↗

What they’ve said

• “The issue highlighted in Leah's case about the commissioning and managing of services by ICBs is not an isolated one. We are concerned that there may be similar wider problems affecting multiple areas of healthcare, and that the system is not consistently meeting people's needs.”

  Ombudsman (Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman) · Hospital discharge / bed-blocking · 27 Aug 2026 · Woman denied permanent birth control on NHS wins case with ombudsman ↗

• “ADHD and autism services were "under significant pressure, with demand outstripping capacity", adding: "While commissioning cannot solve these supply constraints, the way services are designed, commissioned and delivered can compound the pressure people experience and make it harder to make the best use of available resources."”

  Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman · Hospital discharge / bed-blocking · 27 Aug 2026 · Autism and ADHD care complaints more than triple in five years in England ↗

Source references

1. Woman denied permanent birth control on NHS wins case with ombudsmantheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026
2. Autism and ADHD care complaints more than triple in five years in Englandtheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026

Contact & links

• Staff pagehttps://www.ombudsman.org.uk/about-us/who-we-are/ombudsman
• Press office emailpress@ombudsman.org.ukpublished here ↗
• Press office phone0300 061 4996published here ↗
• LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/paula-sussex-30638b141/

Organisational contact points only, each taken from a page the organisation publishes itself. No personal or direct contact details are held or shown.