Call to action: Respond to the Health Reform Bill
The possible abolition of Healthwatch is a significant shift, and one that risks weakening accountability, transparency, and genuine public involvement across the health and social care system.
The deadline to do this is by the 16th of June.
Why this matters:
- Losing local healthwatch organisations risk the loss of independent scrutiny – The removal of Enter and View powers risks leaving local authorities and Integrated Care Boards to effectively “mark their own homework.”
- Fragmentation of the system – Splitting the Healthwatch function will further separate health from social care, when integration is more important than ever.
- Diminished community voice – Healthwatch ensures lived experience shapes decisions, particularly for those least heard.
- Loss of a national-regional-local link – Local Healthwatch doesn’t stand alone; it feeds into a wider structure that ensures local insight drives change at every level.
This is not about Healthwatch County Durham, it is about whether communities continue to have an independent, statutory voice in shaping the services they rely on.
What you can do:
- Submit evidence to the parliamentary committee (organisational or individual)
- Reinforce the importance of independence, integration, and accountability
- Share this call with your networks
At a time of major system reform, the patient voice must be strengthened and not removed or diluted. A strong, independent mechanism for public and patient involvement is needed so please support us in getting this message is heard.
We would strongly urge you to contribute to the parliamentary committee’s call for evidence and raise concerns about the loss of this independent function.