Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service (ISCAS) will become the Private Healthcare Ombudsman on 1 April 2027, following approval of its application for Ombudsman Membership by the Ombudsman Association.
ISCAS has provided independent adjudication of patient complaints about private healthcare since 2001. Its nearly 300 subscribing providers, across all four nations of the UK, range from major hospital groups to independent clinics, doctors and NHS private patient units. The Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN) notes that 97% of independent healthcare providers in England subscribe to the scheme.
Ombudsman status recognises that the scheme meets the Association’s criteria for independence, fairness, effectiveness, openness, transparency and accountability. The Association’s Validation Committee said the application reflected “careful preparation, mature governance arrangements, and a clear commitment to meeting both the letter and spirit of the OA’s membership criteria”.
The Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR), an independent registered charity, has worked with ISCAS since 2015, initially hosting the service and then acquiring it in 2022. ISCAS now operates independently as part of the CEDR Group, giving the service a strong institutional base while preserving its impartial decision-making. This relationship will continue when ISCAS becomes the Private Healthcare Ombudsman.
For patients, the route for making a complaint is unchanged. Complaints should first be raised with the provider and, if they remain unresolved, may be referred for independent review. The scheme considers complaints about care, service and clinicians’ conduct, but it does not determine clinical negligence claims or award compensation for an unsatisfactory clinical outcome. From 1 April 2027, that review will be carried out by the Private Healthcare Ombudsman. The telephone number will remain the same, and existing web links will continue to work.
For subscribing providers, there is no change to the complaints process, timescales or subscription arrangements. ISCAS Limited will operate as the Private Healthcare Ombudsman from 1 April 2027, and existing agreements will continue unchanged. Subscribers will be contacted directly ahead of that date with guidance on updating their complaints policies and response letters.
You can read the full press release here