Health Bill update: What could the changes mean for Healthwatch?
The Government is proposing major changes to the way people's experiences of health and social care are heard.
These include plans to close Healthwatch England and local Healthwatch organisations, including Healthwatch North Yorkshire. Some of the work we currently do would instead become the responsibility of NHS organisations and local councils.
Why does that matter?
Because people don't always find it easy to speak openly about their care – particularly when something has gone wrong, they don't feel they've been listened to, or they're simply not sure who to turn to.
Having somewhere independent to go can make a real difference.
There has now been an important development. As the Health Bill moves from the House of Commons to the House of Lords, the Government has said it will look again at its plans for Healthwatch.
For people in North Yorkshire, nothing changes at the moment. Healthwatch North Yorkshire remains open and independent, and our work continues as normal.
September 2026: What's changed?
The Health Bill completed its final stage in the House of Commons on 8 September 2026.
During the debate, MPs raised concerns about what could be lost if local Healthwatch organisations were closed.
Changes were put forward that would have removed the plans to close Healthwatch from the Bill. These were not agreed, so the plans remain.
But the conversation isn't over.
Health Minister Karin Smyth told MPs that the Government had heard the strength of feeling about Healthwatch and would work with MPs and members of the House of Lords to review this part of the Bill.
She said:
“We have heard the strength of feeling in this place and through committee and as this bill moves to the other place, I can commit to working closer with colleagues across this house and in the other place to review these provisions to ensure our approach sufficiently empowers and devolves to local populations.”
She added:
“We want all to ensure that these changes deliver for patients and service users. Building public trust and ensuring their voice is embedded in the care that they receive.”
So, while the plans to close Healthwatch are still there, they are not necessarily final. There is still an opportunity for them to change.
The Bill moved to the House of Lords on 9 September 2026. Members of the Lords are due to debate it on 13 October 2026.
What is the Health Bill?
The Health Bill is a proposed new law covering changes to health and care in England.
One part would bring Healthwatch England into the Department of Health and Social Care and end the current requirement for councils to arrange a local Healthwatch organisation.
In practice, that could mean organisations such as Healthwatch North Yorkshire no longer existing in their current form.
Some of the work currently carried out by Healthwatch would instead move to NHS organisations and councils.
The Government says it wants listening to people's experiences to become a bigger part of how health and care organisations work.
We support that aim. People's experiences should help shape care.
But there's an important question at the heart of these changes: if the organisations planning, paying for or providing your care are also responsible for hearing what you think about it, where do you go when you want to speak to someone independent?
How did we get here?
The Health Bill was introduced to Parliament earlier this year.
On 1 June 2026, MPs debated its main ideas in the House of Commons. MPs from different political parties raised concerns about the plans for Healthwatch.
The Bill then went to a smaller group of MPs, known as a Public Bill Committee, which looked at the proposals in more detail between June and July. Healthwatch England and other organisations gave evidence about the proposed changes.
It returned to the full House of Commons in September. MPs had another opportunity to debate it and suggest changes before the Bill completed its Commons stages on 8 September.
Now it's the turn of the House of Lords.
Members of the Lords can debate the plans and suggest further changes. The Bill will eventually return to the House of Commons before it can become law.
So there is still some way to go.
Why does having somewhere independent to speak up matter?
Put simply, it can be difficult to speak openly about an organisation when you're relying on that same organisation for your care.
You might have had a poor experience at hospital. Perhaps you've struggled to get a GP appointment, had problems arranging care for a family member, or tried to raise a concern and felt nobody was really listening.
Or you might just be unsure who to talk to.
That's where having somewhere independent can help.
Healthwatch is separate from the organisations that provide, plan or pay for NHS and social care.
We listen. We look at whether other people are telling us similar things. And we use what we hear to ask questions and push for improvements.
That doesn't just mean hearing about things that have gone wrong. People tell us when they've had good care too. That's important because it helps show what's working and what could work well elsewhere.
Being independent means we can:
- listen to your experience without being part of the organisation providing your care
- raise concerns when people tell us something isn't working
- publish what we find and say where we think things could be better
- take people's experiences directly to those making decisions about health and social care
- follow up issues and ask what's being done about them
- help people find information and work out where to go for further help.
What people tell us can show things that figures, targets and official reports sometimes can't.
It's the everyday reality of using health and social care.
What could this mean here in North Yorkshire?
Your care doesn't always fit neatly into one organisation.
You might leave hospital and need support from your GP, community health teams and council social care. From your point of view, it's all part of the same experience.
You shouldn't need to understand which organisation is responsible for which bit before you can tell someone what worked – or what went wrong.
Having an independent local organisation means we can listen to that whole experience, rather than just the part involving one organisation.
And North Yorkshire brings its own challenges.
We're a huge county. What it's like getting health or social care in Scarborough can be very different from someone's experience in Skipton, Richmond or a small rural village.
Distance matters. Transport matters. What's available locally matters too.
We hear from people living in our towns, villages and rural communities, and those experiences aren't always the same.
Whatever happens next, it's important that people across North Yorkshire still have somewhere to share those experiences – and know they'll be heard.
What are Healthwatch and other organisations saying?
Healthwatch organisations across England have been making the case for people to continue to have somewhere independent to share their experiences.
Other organisations representing people who use health and social care, as well as councils, have also raised concerns about the plans.
The Government says it wants people's experiences to play a bigger part in decisions about health and care.
That's something we want too.
The question is how we make that happen without losing people's ability to speak openly to someone independent.
And this isn't simply about protecting an organisation called Healthwatch.
It's about the person who's had a difficult experience and doesn't know who to tell. The family member who's struggling to find the right support. Or someone who's already spoken up but doesn't feel anything has changed.
People need to know that they can speak openly, that their experience will be taken seriously and that someone can raise concerns when things aren't working.
That's the important bit.
What happens next?
The next major stage of the Health Bill is on 13 October 2026, when members of the House of Lords will debate it.
After that, they'll look at the Bill in more detail and have opportunities to suggest changes.
Healthwatch organisations across England will continue talking to the Government and members of Parliament about what should happen next. This includes looking at how the best parts of the current Healthwatch model could be kept and strengthened, whatever the future looks like.
Here in North Yorkshire, we'll continue talking to local health and care organisations about how people's experiences can remain a strong part of decisions about care.
We'll also keep a close eye on what happens in Parliament.
And, as soon as we know more about what the changes could mean for people in North Yorkshire, we'll let you know.
Have your say
While all this is being discussed in Parliament, Healthwatch North Yorkshire is still here and our work continues as normal.
You can tell us about your experience of health or social care – good or bad. You can take part in our surveys and other work, or contact us if you need information about where to find help.
Perhaps something worked really well. Maybe something needs to change. Or you might simply want someone independent to hear what happened.
We want to hear from you.
What you tell us helps us understand what's really happening across North Yorkshire and push for better health and social care.
