What could proposed changes to Healthwatch mean for people in North Yorkshire?
The proposals are part of the Health Bill, new legislation covering wider changes to the NHS and health and care system in England.
For people in North Yorkshire, the important question is what would replace Healthwatch – and whether people would still have somewhere independent to share their experiences and speak up about health and social care.
The plans aren't final, and nothing is changing for now.
What you need to know
- Healthwatch North Yorkshire is still here, independent and working as normal, with local funding extended until the end of February 2028. So we will be here until at least then.
- The Government's plans would abolish local Healthwatch organisations in their current form, with responsibilities for hearing people's experiences moving to NHS organisations and councils.
- MPs and members of the House of Lords have raised concerns about what could be lost, and the Government has committed to reviewing the proposals.
- Changes to retain Healthwatch have been proposed in Parliament, but nothing has been agreed yet.
What is being proposed?
The Bill proposes major changes to Healthwatch at both national and local level.
Healthwatch England currently leads the national Healthwatch network and uses what local Healthwatch organisations hear from people across the country to highlight issues nationally.
Under the plans, Healthwatch England would be abolished and its functions brought into the Department of Health and Social Care.
Local Healthwatch organisations would also be abolished in their current form. Responsibilities for hearing people's experiences would instead move to NHS organisations and councils.
The Government says this would put people's voices closer to where decisions about services are made.
We agree that people's experiences should help shape care. The question is how that can happen while making sure people still have somewhere independent to speak openly about their experiences.
Why does having somewhere independent matter?
It can be difficult to speak openly about an organisation when you're relying on that same organisation for your care.
Perhaps you've had a poor experience at hospital, 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.
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 to people's experiences – good and bad – look at whether others are telling us similar things and use what we hear to ask questions and push for improvements.
Being independent means we can raise concerns, publish what we find and take people's experiences directly to those making decisions.
What people tell us can show things that figures, targets and official reports sometimes can't: the everyday reality of using NHS 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. An independent local organisation can listen to that whole experience.
North Yorkshire brings its own challenges too. It's a huge county, and getting health or social care in Scarborough can be very different from someone's experience in Skipton, Richmond or a small rural village.
Distance, transport and what's available locally all matter.
Whatever happens next, we believe it's important that people across North Yorkshire still have somewhere to share their experiences – and know they'll be heard.
North Yorkshire Council has agreed to fund Healthwatch North Yorkshire for another year, until the end of February 2028. So we will be here until at least then, whatever happens. This gives us greater certainty while the national proposals are being considered, although our longer-term future remains unclear.
Where have the plans got to – and what happens next?
The Health Bill completed its stages in the House of Commons on 8 September 2026. MPs raised concerns about the proposed abolition of Healthwatch, and the Government committed to reviewing this part of the Bill.
On 13 October, the Bill was debated in the House of Lords. Members from across political parties raised further concerns about losing independent patient representation and the local relationships Healthwatch organisations have built. Some also questioned whether the current Healthwatch works could be improved.
The Government repeated its commitment to review the proposals.
Amendments have since been put forward by Baroness Pidgeon that would retain Healthwatch England and local Healthwatch organisations. She has also proposed changes to Healthwatch funding, based on earlier Government funding estimates, with consideration given to inflation.
These are proposals, not agreed changes.
The Bill will now move to Committee Stage in the House of Lords on 28 October, when members will examine it in more detail and can propose changes.
Alongside this, the Government is reviewing its approach to Healthwatch and how people's voices should be heard in the future.
The plans to abolish Healthwatch remain in the Bill, but the outcome is not yet decided. We'll continue to follow developments and keep you updated.
Have your say
While all this is being discussed in Parliament, Healthwatch North Yorkshire is still here.
You can tell us about your experience of health or social care – good or bad, whether something worked really well, something needs to change or you simply want someone independent to hear what happened.
What you tell us helps us understand what's happening across North Yorkshire and push for better health and social care.
