Government plans around the future of Healthwatch

Over the past weekend (28/29 June), media coverage in the BBC and other outlets announced a number of health-related agencies are being closed down – including Healthwatch. These proposals come from the yet-to-be-published Dash Review, and form part of the government’s wider 10-Year Health Plan.

This decision marks a major change in public involvement. Healthwatch was established under the Health and Social Care Act 2012 specifically to understand the needs, experiences, and concerns of people who use health and social care services and to speak out on their behalf. In that time Local Healthwatch have helped millions of people raise concerns, access vital advice, and influence real change in the services they rely on. 

Health Secretary Wes Streetings contends that “many of the problems in the NHS come down to a failure to listen to patients. The changes we are making will hold a megaphone up to patients’ lips”. 

“…greater inequalities and further marginalisation of the seldom heard.” 

It is hard to square this sentiment with the decision to scrap Healthwatch: a local, independent champion for patient voice as a means of improving standards of care. It is easy to imagine how alternatives – like patients giving feedback on their care via the NHS app – could lead to greater inequalities and further marginalisation of the seldom heard. 

As a provider of a local Healthwatch services in Barnet, Croydon, Haringey and Hounslow, Public Voice has seen first-hand the positive impact of engaging communities, gathering evidence of local issues and inequalities, and working together to improve services and commissioning. We are proud of the significant successes of local Healthwatch, and of the teams and volunteers who make it happen. Although our work with communities and decision-makers is much wider than delivering local Healthwatch, we are saddened by the proposal to remove this important form of public involvement. 

There is still a long way to go. The Dash Review is not yet published, though its recommendations are well trailed in the media. These recommendations will go through the various steps before being enacted in legislation, likely in late 2026. Until then, Healthwatch will continue to gather patient views and evidence, help residents navigate and access health and social care, and work together with providers and commissioners to improve local services. 

Responding to the media reports, Ian Adams, Public Voice Chair, said: 

“For decades, there has been a recognition that services – and indeed society – benefit from understanding the needs of people and involving them in decision-making. Public Voice will continue our work championing the power of community engagement, amplifying the voices of residents and communities, and ensuring services better meet people’s needs. Over the coming year, we will closely monitor the various steps that will need to be taken before any changes are made. When necessary, we will work closely with commissioners and communities to ensure the smooth transition of services, so that the voices of patients and the public continue to be heard.”