Government plans to end Healthwatch: What we know, and what we’re doing
On Saturday 28 June 2025, national media outlets—including the BBC and the Daily Mail—reported that the entire Healthwatch network, along with the National Guardian’s Office and the Health Services Safety Investigations Body, is set to close under the Government’s new 10-year health plan.
While no official timeline has yet been confirmed, and we await the publication of Dr Penny Dash’s review of patient safety (which will detail the future of Healthwatch and any changes to the Care Quality Committee), Healthwatch remains committed to serving our communities.
Our legal duty—to listen to your experiences and make sure your voice shapes the care you receive—remains unchanged.
Initial reports suggest a potential closure date could be autumn 2026 but could also be sooner or later than this date. But until any legislation is passed, we are still here—and your voice still matters.
Why Healthwatch exists
Created under the Health and Social Care Act 2012, Healthwatch was designed to give people a strong voice in health and care decisions. Since then, Healthwatch North Yorkshire has worked alongside communities across the county to amplify your experiences, concerns, and ideas.
Most recently, we’ve supported:
- Rural communities, including farmers accessing care in remote areas and working to bring healthcare to them.
- New mothers, by sharing experiences to improve postnatal care (care at home and in the community).
- People living with mental health issues, helping shape GP-based mental health support through the introduction of first contact mental health practitioners to support quicker and better support.
Those facing barriers, from language to digital exclusion, have led to improvements in the way accessible information is provided in some GP practices, hospitals, and social care.
Thanks to your feedback, real changes have happened. And your voices haven’t just stayed local—they’ve influenced decisions at every level.
Why this matters
To dismantle a network built to ensure accountability and public voice is no small thing. It raises serious questions about how people will continue to be:
- Heard
- Supported
- Included in decisions about the services they rely on
We believe this principle must not be lost: Health and care should always be shaped by the people who use them.
New 10 Year Health Plan
Healthwatch North Yorkshire welcomes the Government's new 10 Year Health Plan For England. We recognise that change is essential to ensure people can access better care, closer to where they live.
We support the plan’s aim to make better use of technology to help people stay healthy and live well for longer. We also welcome the focus on preventing illness in the first place — not just treating problems once they arise.
We strongly support the idea of creating local health centres where people can see a doctor, nurse, dentist, or mental health professional in the same building. These services are sometimes called “primary care” — they are the first place people go for help with most health problems.
This is exactly what people across North Yorkshire have been asking for. They want services that are easier to access, more joined-up, and based within their own communities.
