Review decision to abolish independent local Healthwatch

We are asking the government to: • Revisit its decision to abolish local independent services that speak up for the public • Consult with the public to codesign a service which meets their needs and supports the NHS to realise its ambitions • Invest in and strengthen independent services

Local independent services are rooted in their communities. We think they are well placed to support the 10-Year Health Plan by offering constructive challenge and helping co-produce solutions with those with the greatest health and care needs. We think trusted independent services that listen to local communities are essential to improving health and social care. We listen without fear or favour and reach those whose voices are often ignored.

The Government asked Dr Penny Dash to carry out a review of patient safety across the health and care landscape. Dr Dash’s review focused on six key organisations overseen by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC): the Care Quality Commission, the National Guardian’s Office, Healthwatch England (and the local Healthwatch network), the Patient Safety Commissioner, the Health Services Safety Investigations Body and the patient-safety learning related functions of NHS Resolution.

Dr Dash found that there are many organisations carrying out reviews and investigations or looking at user experience. This can lead to an overwhelming number of recommendations which can cause confusion for patients and users. At the same time, customer experience is not given the attention that it deserves in the NHS. Dr Dash aimed to streamline, simplify and consolidate functions across the patient safety landscape to remove duplication and overlap, and make processes simpler and more effective for users and patients.

The report of the Dash review of patient safety across the health and care landscape was published in July 2025. In the report, Dr Dash made nine recommendations which the Government has accepted in full and aligns with the 10 Year Health Plan for England. As such no other options have been considered. We consider the Dash review to be thorough, with all the recommendations aiding to meet the overall objective.

The Government will abolish Healthwatch England (HWE) and Local Healthwatch (LHW) in their current form. A new patient experience directorate within DHSC, will bring patient voice ‘in house’. This will become a central function of the Department and ensure Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) and Local Authorities (LAs) incorporate the views of patients and users directly into strategic planning of services for health and social care.