We're standing up to protect your independent voice in the NHS and social care
Healthwatch North Yorkshire has joined 130 other local Healthwatch services across England in signing a powerful open letter to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. The letter urges the government to rethink proposals that would place public voice functions under the control of local councils and NHS organisations, removing the independence that makes our work trusted and effective.
Healthwatch was set up in 2013 through the Health and Social Care Act 2012, following serious NHS failures such as the Mid Staffordshire scandal. The aim was to give people a stronger voice in shaping health and social care services.
For more than a decade, Healthwatch North Yorkshire has spoken up for people who use health and care services. Our legal independence means we can raise concerns freely, highlight poor care, and speak up for people who often struggle to be heard. Whether they’re struggling to access a GP, feeling ignored in mental health services, or navigating care as a carer, patient, or parent, Healthwatch is here for people.
"We’re proud of what we’ve achieved by listening to local people and working with services, while still being free to challenge when needed. If Healthwatch is brought under local council or NHS control, people may no longer feel safe to speak up. That would be a huge step backwards."
We know services are under pressure. We recognise the efforts of frontline staff, managers and commissioners working hard with limited time, funding and resources to provide safe, high-quality care. Healthwatch is here to support them as well as the public, helping to share what's working well and where things could improve. Nationally, the 153 local Healthwatch services support hundreds of thousands of people every year. This helps to make sure their views are heard and acted on.
Why independence matters
The Francis Inquiry into the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust public scandal made it clear that not listening to patients and a lack of outside checks led to harm that could have been avoided. Without a strong, independent voice for the public, concerns are easily overlooked and warning signs missed.
Every year, we hear from thousands of people across North Yorkshire about their experiences of using health and care services. Their stories help us raise important issues and improve local services.
How Healthwatch North Yorkshire listen
We work closely with North Yorkshire Council (social care) and the NHS, as well as voluntary and community organisations by sharing reports, evidence, and recommendations that reflect what local people are telling us.
We also help members of the public find clear, trusted information and advice, so they understand their options and feel confident making the best decisions for themselves, their families, friends or someone they support.
And importantly, we don’t exist solely to criticise. We celebrate when services get things right, and we regularly highlight good examples of care to encourage learning and improvement across the system.
How your feedback has helped
Your stories help us raise important issues and improve local services. Feedback over the last couple of years has meant:
- Improved continence care and dignity in hospitals and care homes
- Support for new breastfeeding and pelvic health clinics
- Strengthened GP and postnatal care staff training
- Work with Medequip to listen to people and then improve communication and delivery times for health equipment
Local projects making a difference
We’ve also worked on several local projects shaped by people who use services:
- Mental health: Building Bridges to Better Mental Health brought people together to help design better support. As a result, 45 new mental health workers have been added locally, making it quicker to get help and improving the support people receive.
- Farming and rural areas: Ploughing Through Barriers looked at why people in rural communities are less likely to ask for help. It found that stigma, isolation, and practical challenges stop people getting support. The findings are now being used by local services, including GP drop-in clinics, mental health support at auction marts, and training for vets to spot when someone is struggling.
- Accessible information: We have also supported information improvements in how hospitals, GP practices and social care providers give people information—making sure it is clear and easy to understand and meetspeople's needs.
These projects have helped services become more inclusive and easier to use—especially for those who often face the biggest barriers.
Helping services work better for everyone
Our latest report, Unlocking the Power of People‑Driven Care, shows how local voices are helping make care better:
We’ve:
- Helped bring mobile health checks to Selby and Hawes auction marts
- Helped create a clearer, easier-to-read GP information guide for patients at the doctors
- Made sure the views of people from underrepresented groups—such as ethnic minority communities, refugees, unpaid carers, new parents, autistic adults, and children and teenagers—are taken seriously
Our work would not be possible without the support of our dedicated Healthwatch volunteers. They help us carry out visits to services, run information stalls in libraries and hospitals, share posters and leaflets across local communities, and promote important resources like the new GP guide in practices across North Yorkshire.
Why people trust us
People often tell us we’re the first organisation that truly listens. They often say we are the only ones that follows up to make sure they get the help they need. That trust hasn’t come from being part of the system. It’s come from being part of the community and free to speak up on behalf of local people.
“We’re rooted in our communities and trusted because we tell it like it is. The moment you make us answerable to the very bodies we’re meant to hold to account, you weaken the whole system of local voice. This is too important to get wrong.”
The open letter has now been submitted to Wes Streeting MP, and Healthwatch services across England are calling for urgent talks with the Secretary of State. We all believe that the public’s voice must remain strong, independent, and protected.
Support from local MP for independent patient voice
Tom Gordon, Member of Parliament for Harrogate and Knaresborough, has written to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting MP, in support of Healthwatch and the need to protect an independent voice for patients.
You can see Tom Gordon MP’s full letter here:
Read the letter from Tom Gordon MP
He told Healthwatch North Yorkshire:
Thank you for writing to me about Healthwatch. I know you and your team have worked exceptionally hard to advocate for members of the public here in Yorkshire.
I believe that people should be in control of their own lives and health. This means that people need clear places to go if the healthcare service they receive is not adequate. These places to go should, at a minimum, include an internal service within the NHS, and an independent service too.
Cost-cutting must never come at the expense of patient safety. Healthwatch, and other services like it, do an amazing job, and they provide patients with that crucial, independent voice for when things go wrong. Enquiries have previously identified a cover-up culture in the NHS – there is no excuse for patients and their families to suffer because the Government is unwilling to tackle that culture.
Because this issue is so important, I have already written to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to raise these concerns. I have attached my letter, and will update you upon his reply.
