Message from Rosemary Agnew, Scottish Public Services Ombudsman
"I am very sorry, due to the impact COVID-19 has had on the work of my office over the last 2 years, there is currently a delay of up to 11 months in allocating complaints to an SPSO Complaints Reviewer for detailed consideration and investigation.
My staff are working hard to reduce a backlog of work created during 2020-21, due to the unforeseen change in our working environment, reduced resourcing and technological challenges.
We are currently investing in the recruitment and training of new staff to decrease the waiting time to allocate complaints. I assure you that we read every complaint when it arrives and we respond within 1 week with an estimated time scale of when we will be able to allocate individual complaints to a Complaints Reviewer."
We are Scotland's Ombudsman
The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) is the final stage for complaints about councils, the National Health Service, housing associations, colleges and universities, prisons, most water providers, the Scottish Government and its agencies and departments and most Scottish authorities.
Complaints
Information about how to make a complaint and what happens to your complaint in our office
Submit a complaint
Begin your complaint using our secure online complaint form

For Organisations
Information about the Model Complaints Handling Procedures for individual sectors under our remit and resources to support public service organisations in handling complaints
Findings
Browse or search our database of complaint findings across all sectors under our remit.
Our services
Apart from complaints handling, the SPSO is also the Independent National Whistleblowing Officer and offers the Scottish Welfare Fund Independent Review service.