The Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) is launching its annual scrutiny session into the work of the PHSO in the financial year 2020/21.
According to the House of Commons Standing Order 146, PACAC's role in relation to the PHSO is:
to examine the reports of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration and the Health Service Commissioner for England, which are laid before this House, and matters in connection therewith
PACAC therefore scrutinises the PHSO's annual report and other reports that the Ombudsman chooses to lay before Parliament. Where these reports highlight failures in the quality and standards of Civil Service administration, PACAC may use them to hold the government to account. We will also be using this session to look back at the role of the Ombudsman, Rob Behrens, after five years in post.
The Committee cannot review the PHSO's adjudications on individual cases. This includes the PHSO's decisions on whether or not to accept a case. As the office of the PHSO is independent, adjudications cannot be overruled by a government minister or any parliamentary committee.