Complaining to Your MP

Contacting your MP is most useful when:

• A government department or public body (such as the DWP, Home Office, HMRC, or NHS) is not responding to your complaint or is taking an unreasonably long time
• You need to refer a complaint to the PHSO — they only accept referrals from MPs
• You believe a public body has acted unlawfully or is failing its legal duties
• You want your MP to raise a matter in Parliament or in their constituency role

MPs are less useful for complaints about private organisations, though they can write to companies on your behalf and draw media attention to widespread issues if appropriate.

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) investigates complaints about NHS services in England and UK government departments. Uniquely among UK ombudsmen, PHSO complaints must be referred by an MP — you cannot self-refer.

To refer a complaint via your MP:

1. Complete the internal NHS or government department complaints process first
2. Contact your MP's constituency office and explain you wish to refer a complaint to the PHSO
3. Provide copies of all relevant correspondence and your final response letter
4. Your MP will submit the referral to the PHSO on your behalf

Your MP should be willing to make this referral regardless of their political affiliation — it is part of their constituency duties.

Find your MP and their contact details on the Parliament.uk website (parliament.uk/find-your-mp). Most MPs operate constituency surgeries (drop-in or appointment-based meetings) where you can discuss your complaint in person. You can also contact them by email or letter.

When writing to your MP, be concise and factual. Explain the problem, what you have already done to resolve it, and exactly what you want the MP to do — whether that is writing to an organisation on your behalf, raising a parliamentary question, or referring a PHSO complaint.

MPs are busy and have large caseloads. A clear, well-organised letter with supporting evidence is more likely to result in prompt action than a lengthy rambling account.

Writing an effective letter or email to your MP takes only a little preparation and substantially increases the likelihood of a useful response. Here is a practical guide to finding, contacting, and getting results from your MP.

Finding your MP: Go to parliament.uk/find-your-mp and enter your postcode. This will show your MP's name, their party, their constituency, and their Parliament.uk contact page — which usually includes a contact form, their constituency office address, and their office's direct email address. Most MPs also maintain a website or social media presence through which you can make contact. If you prefer to write by post, the parliamentary address is: [Your MP's Name] MP, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA — letters sent to this address do not need a stamp and will be forwarded to the MP.

What to include in your letter: Keep your letter to one page if possible and cover: (1) a brief summary of the problem — who treated you badly and what they did; (2) what steps you have already taken to resolve the complaint and the responses received; (3) why you believe the organisation is acting improperly or failing its legal duties; and (4) a specific ask — for example, "Please write to [organisation] on my behalf asking them to explain why they have not responded" or "Please refer my PHSO complaint on my behalf". Attach copies of key documents as an appendix, but do not overwhelm the MP with paper — a one-page timeline and the most important letter or decision are usually sufficient for a first contact.

What MPs can actually do: MPs have several practical tools available to them. They can write to a government department, NHS trust, or other public body on official parliamentary notepaper — this often prompts faster responses than a member of the public writing directly. They can ask a Parliamentary Question in the House of Commons, putting the government on the record about your issue. They can refer your complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (for NHS and government department complaints). They can raise your case in a Westminster Hall debate or with the relevant select committee if it relates to a systemic issue. What MPs cannot do is overturn legal decisions (such as benefit award decisions or planning permissions), compel private businesses to act, or override court orders. For legal decisions, the correct route is an appeal or Mandatory Reconsideration — your MP can sometimes support this by pressing for expedition, but cannot substitute for the legal process.