Petition 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
More details
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.
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Government responded
This response was given on 21 November 2025
The number of organisations monitoring patient experience is causing confusion and risks inaction. We will close some organisations like Healthwatch to allow direct patient feedback to care providers.
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.
ICBs will be responsible for the health function of LHW. They will ensure the functions are incorporated in provider organisations alongside existing patient engagement work such as Patient Participation Groups. LAs will be responsible for the social care LHW functions.
The overall objective is to simplify the patient safety landscape with the combined intended outcome to improve quality of care, including safety, by making it clear where responsibility and accountability sit at all levels of the system, and making it easier for staff, patients and users to directly feed into and access the system. And for the system to hear more clearly and so act on the views.
The Government aims for there to be fewer organisations in the patient safety landscape. Patients and users will have a clearer path to providing feedback, which will directly input into the centre, and the commissioners and providers of health and care. Their voices will influence policy, strategic thinking and planning with the aim of improving the quality and safety of care, both in their local areas and nationally.
To achieve the aims and outcomes, the Government must first make legislative changes to abolish HWE and LHW in their current form. Existing legislation will be amended or revoked with the functions currently held by HWE and LHW moving to the Secretary of State, ICBs and LAs.
Department of Health and Social Care
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