Healthwatch England and local Healthwatch organisations to be retained

The Government has confirmed that Healthwatch England and local Healthwatch organisations will be retained and strengthened.

The reforms are intended to ensure that patients’ experiences play a greater role in improving health and social care services, identifying recurring concerns, and driving improvements in quality, safety and patient experience.

Yvette Cooper, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, said: “Patients need a voice in our NHS. I’ve always been clear on the importance of people and communities having a say in local services and that’s why I said I would review all the reforms in this area.”

She added: “We will retain both Healthwatch England and local Healthwatch, while strengthening them to ensure patient voices are heard and can influence real change across health and care services.”

The announcement comes following concerns earlier this year about plans to abolish the independent patient voice in health and social care.

Commenting on the announcement, Healthwatch acting chief executive, Chris McCann, said the organisation welcomed the Government’s decision to retain and reform the Healthwatch model rather than abolish it.

He said: “This decision recognises the vital role that an independent service user champion plays in helping NHS and social care services to understand people’s experiences and bringing about improvements to the care people receive.”

McCann emphasised: “At a time when health and care services face significant pressures and are undergoing substantial reform, it is more important than ever that the voices of patients, families and carers are heard clearly and acted upon.

Reducing health inequalities must remain central to this work, ensuring that improvements benefit all communities and that people’s circumstances, needs and experiences are not overlooked in shaping the services they rely on.”

The decision has also been welcomed by other organisations, including the AOP and the King’s Fund.

“We welcome the decision by the Government to retain Healthwatch England and local Healthwatch organisations,” AOP clinical and policy director, Dr Peter Hampson, said, adding: “It is a necessary recognition of the role they play in ensuring that the patient experience is reflected in decision making at both national and local level.”

Hampson described Healthwatch’s insight in drawing attention to the pressures facing people who need eye care as “instrumental,” stating that last year the AOP supported the organisation’s A strain on sight: waiting for NHS specialist eyecare report calling for greater investment.

The report “made clear how compelling patient testimony can be in highlighting long waits, limited access and the growing strain on hospital eye services,” Hampson said.

“We look forward to continuing to work with Healthwatch so that the experiences of people requiring eye care are heard and acted upon across the system,” he added.

Chief executive at the King’s Fund, Sarah Woolnough, said: “We’re pleased the Government has listened to concerns about the future of Healthwatch and acted to retain an independent voice for people using health and care services.”

Emphasising the King’s Fund research, which she said “highlighted the importance of maintaining a strong, independent voice that could speak truth to power on behalf of patients and the public,” Woolnough added: “It is a good thing that the Government is changing its approach.”