Paula Sussex CBE | Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman | Voices of Care

In this episode of Voices of Care, we are joined by Paula Sussex CBE, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. This is a timely and deeply important conversation about trust: trust between citizens and the state, trust between patients and the NHS, and trust that when something goes wrong, people will be heard, the truth will be told and the system will learn. Paula discusses the mission of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, the importance of patient voice, the role of complaints in individual redress and systemic improvement, and the new PHSO strategy to help turn complaints into a catalyst for better public services and NHS commissioning. The episode explores why complaints should never be dismissed as noise, but understood as vital intelligence about safety, dignity, fairness, communication and public trust. Paula also reflects on NHS commissioning, regulatory gaps, duty of candour, avoidable harm, technology, and the need for patient voice to be heard in the design of services.