The Financial Ombudsman Service has confirmed to Mortgage Strategy sister magazine Money Marketing that the appointment of its next chief executive is still undecided.

Nausicaa Delfas has been serving as chief executive on an interim basis since 17 May 2021.

A source told Money Marketing that the FOS might appoint Delfas on a permanent basis.

Yet, the FOS told Money Marketing that would not comment on speculation and that any permanent appointment at the ombudsman is subject to an open recruitment process.

Delfas was appointed interim chief executive and chief ombudsman in April 2021  after the departure of Caroline Wayman.

She joined from the Financial Conduct Authority where she worked as executive director of international and interim chief operating officer.

Wayman served nearly seven years as chief executive and chief ombudsman. She is now working as partner at PA Consulting. She supports the company in its its financial services practice.

The FOS published a consultation aiming to help it work through pandemic-driven complaints at the beginning of the month.  It is closing today at 5.00pm.

It will then implement its plans by 1 November.

The consultation explores a range of initiatives and innovations that could enable it to move faster and help more customers.

This includes engaging with businesses differently to move complaints along more quickly.

It also suggests initiatives to free up investigators’ time, such as routing calls through other teams.

The consultation also considers focusing triage in some areas such as fraud and scams.

It comes at a time when the FOS is facing a complaints backlog and criticism.

The FOS also reported having seen an 66% increase in fraud and scam complaints in the first quarter of the 2021/22 financial year.

The number of cases went up to 5,025 cases compared with 3,028 in the same period last year.

Over that period, the FOS upheld 60% of fraud and scam complaints. It compares with 50% last year.

The data showed that fraud and scams are still one of the main drivers of complaints to the FOS.