The 10 Year Health Plan for England - and the future of independent patient voice
The government has published a new 10 Year Health Plan for England. It sets out how ministers aim to shape health and social care over the next decade, including new approaches to feedback, national priorities, and digital systems.
Alongside this announcement, there are proposals that could bring an end to local Healthwatch services in their current form. This raises important questions about how people across England will continue to share their real experiences and influence decisions about their care.
These proposals were first reported by several national news outlets in late June and early July 2025, including coverage from the BBC and Daily Mail
We know many residents are concerned about what this means in practice. Our role is to make sure that changes do not reduce opportunities for people to speak up, seek help when they need it, or challenge decisions that affect their lives.
What the plan sets out to do
The 10-Year Health Plan for England aims to simplify how patient feedback and experiences are gathered by creating a central model within the NHS. It suggests that collecting feedback through national systems will be more cost effective, and that a single approach will make it easier to identify trends. It also places strong emphasis on digital routes, with fewer local channels and less variation between areas.
National consistency can be helpful, but it must not come at the cost of understanding the pressures faced by rural communities, older residents, unpaid carers, or those with limited digital access. Local circumstances vary, and a single central system may struggle to reflect this.
What this could mean for you
If the proposals go ahead, people may find that some familiar support routes change. It may become harder to speak to someone based in your area who understands the challenges you face. Local experience shows that issues such as appointment delays, long waits for community services, and transport barriers are often best understood at community level.
Support when raising concerns could also look different. Currently, Healthwatch services can listen to your experience, offer clear information, and guide you toward formal complaints (or getting help to make one) or advice services when needed. The government has not yet confirmed how this support would continue if local Healthwatch teams close.
Without strong local voice, there is a risk that feedback becomes part of a national dataset without the local context needed to drive meaningful improvement.
What this means for Healthwatch services
Independent local Healthwatch organisations are designed to listen to residents, visit services, review experiences, and publish findings. They act as a trusted link between the public and decision makers. The proposals suggest that this might be replaced by a central model, with fewer community based teams.
If this happens, there may be less direct contact with people who rely on face to face support. Evidence from rural and coastal areas, small market towns, and minority communities that often go unheard could be lost. Independent scrutiny of services may become more limited, and complaints support may be harder to access.
These are significant changes, and we believe they should be carefully considered with meaningful involvement from local people.
Why local independence matters
Local Healthwatch teams are not part of the NHS or social care providers. This gives residents confidence to share their experiences openly. Independence allows us to present findings that show both strengths and weaknesses, without influence from those responsible for delivering the service.
When people face long waits, cancelled appointments, or confusion about who to contact, they need a route to speak up that feels safe and trusted. Local independence helps make that possible.
What we know at this stage
We have sought clarity on how the proposals would work, who would be responsible for independent feedback, and how people would access support. Ministers have not yet set a confirmed timetable, and there is uncertainty about how central systems would gather and interpret local experiences.
At this point, decisions remain under discussion, but the direction of travel points toward a more central approach.
What we are doing now
We continue to share evidence from residents across North Yorkshire to demonstrate how local insight leads to real improvements. We are meeting elected representatives, raising concerns about reduced accountability, and setting out the importance of hearing from those who are less likely to speak through national systems.
We are also working closely with other local Healthwatch to present a clear picture of the potential impact on communities across England. While discussions take place, our work continues. We are still listening, still reporting, and still helping people understand and navigate services.
How you can help
We encourage you to continue sharing your recent experiences of health and social care. Your feedback helps us identify common issues, support improvement work, and show national leaders why local voice matters. If you are worried about these proposals, you can contact your elected representatives and explain why independent routes for feedback are important to you and your community.
Our message to the Government
We support plans that improve care, strengthen safety, and make feedback easier. However, any new model must protect local independence, ensure that residents can raise concerns without fear, and uphold transparency. Local evidence shows that the best improvements often begin with the experiences of people who use services every day.
We will continue to speak up on behalf of our residents and will share further updates as soon as more information becomes available.
If you have questions or would like to share your experience, please contact our team.
Read the 10-Year Health Plan
You can read the Government’s full 10-Year Health Plan, or start with the summary for a quick overview of the main points.
Summary report - a quick overview of the key points:
Fit for the future: 10 Year Health Plan for England
Full report - the complete version of the plan with all the details:
"While the plan sets out some welcome ambitions, closure of Healthwatch risks silencing the independent voice of patients and the public, particularly those who need support and feel excluded. It could break the trust and relationships we've built locally."
