Why independence matters: Our response to the future of Healthwatch
The Government’s published 10-Year Health Plan on Wednesday 3 July 2025. It outlines a new direction for patient voice across health and care services in England. As part of this, proposals have been made to bring the Healthwatch function inside the Department of Health and Social Care, signalling the eventual closure of local Healthwatch organisations like ours. We don't know when this will be.
We understand the need for reform — but removal is not the same as improvement.
Healthwatch was created to ensure patients, and the public had an independent voice in health and social care. For over a decade, we’ve gathered experiences, championed unheard voices, and helped shape better services. We’ve done this not as a “nice-to-have,” but as a vital connector between people and the systems that serve them.
Why Healthwatch was created in the first place
Healthwatch was not born out of convenience. It was created because of tragedy.
The Francis Inquiry into the failings at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust found that appalling patient care was allowed to continue unchecked for years. Patients were not listened to. Feedback was ignored. And, most shockingly, there was no consistent, statutory structure for people to raise concerns or influence change.
In direct response, the Inquiry explicitly recommended the creation of a statutory body to represent the patient's interests. That body became Healthwatch — enshrined in law to make sure no one had to suffer in silence again.
To dismantle that independence now is to forget why we exist.
Our response
We’re proud of our independence. For over a decade, Healthwatch North Yorkshire has championed those often left out of conversations and held services to account.
Far from being a “wasted resource,” we believe independence is what allows us to reach people the system can’t. It allows us to speak truth to power, challenge where necessary, and build trust through transparency and honesty.
What’s actually changing?
- The Government’s 10-Year Plan requires health and care providers to have patient voice arrangements in place by 2026. This is not a set closure date for Healthwatch, but rather a readiness target if new legislation passes.
- A new National Director of Patient Experience will be created within the Department of Health. This is the team expected to take on Healthwatch England’s role. How this will impact local Healthwatch is still unclear.
Why independence still matters
- Ratings-based tools like the NHS App don’t reach everyone: people without smartphones, with limited digital literacy, non-English speakers, or those recovering from trauma.
- Healthwatch provides depth, not just scores. We explore issues like access to NHS dentistry, rural healthcare, maternity care, and mental health services through real conversations — not just surveys.
- We provide real stories, real experiences, not isolated data and statistics. We understand people’s experiences and make practical, informed recommendations for change.
Why Healthwatch matters more than ever
Healthwatch isn’t “wasteful.” It’s essential.
The Health Secretary recently said the NHS needs “more doers, fewer checkers.” But listening to patients isn’t bureaucracy — it’s how systems learn, improve, and rebuild trust.
Instead, the public could soon be asked to give feedback mainly through the NHS App. That might sound convenient, but it’s no replacement for meaningful, human conversations. Star ratings are subjective — and often only used when something’s gone wrong. Tying hospital funding to these ratings, as proposed, risks punishing services for things beyond their control: a missed call, a delayed appointment, or even poor parking.
And what about those who can’t use the app? People without smartphones? People with disabilities? Non-English speakers? Or people who’ve experienced trauma and don’t want to reduce their experience to a score out of five?
You don’t build trust through ratings. You build it through relationships. And that’s what Healthwatch does best.
A different kind of listening
Healthwatch doesn’t just ask whether care was “good” or “bad.” We go deeper — exploring maternity care, rural access, mental health, oral health, continence and stigma, and more, always through the lens of lived experience.
We listen to people from all walks of life, especially those often left out of traditional engagement. We understand the context behind their stories and use what they tell us to create practical, grounded recommendations.
Often, this work is done with little or no extra funding — just the dedication of small staff teams, the passion of our volunteers, and a shared belief that people’s voices matter.
We don’t just collect feedback. We build trust.
Healthwatch reaches people the system often overlooks. We meet them where they are. We create safe spaces to speak. And we don’t just report on problems — we celebrate good care, too.
It’s a myth that Healthwatch is only about criticism. Many of our most shared stories highlight what’s working well. We believe all feedback — good or bad — matters.
Even the new head of NHS England recently admitted that parts of the system have created “mechanisms to keep the public away because it’s an inconvenience.”
If that’s true, then Healthwatch is needed now more than ever.
Because we don’t see the public as an inconvenience. We see them as essential partners in building better care.
What happens next?
- There is no clear timeline for the proposed changes, but the Department of Health and Social Care has confirmed that local Healthwatch organisations must continue to be commissioned until the law changes. This could take a 1-2 years, but this hasn't been confirmed.
- A written update is expected to confirm this for commissioners and councils. For us, this would be Humber & North Yorkshire NHS Integrated Care Board (the NHS organisation in charge of how money is spent locally) and North Yorkshire Council.
