An open letter to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

131 local Healthwatch services across England, including Healthwatch Wokingham Borough, have signed a powerful open letter to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, urging the Government to rethink plans to move public voice functions 'in-house' under the control of local councils and NHS Integrated Care Boards.

To date, the letter, signed by 131 Healthwatch representing 86% of the national network, warns that the proposed Government changes would seriously compromise the independence that makes public feedback effective and trusted. The letter states:

“Bringing public voice functions in-house risks creating a system where feedback is filtered, inconvenient truths are softened, and accountability is diluted."

“It sends the wrong message at a time when public trust in institutions must be rebuilt, not eroded.”

Healthwatch services serve as an independent champion for patients, carers, and communities, particularly those who are vulnerable or face barriers to accessing care. Their statutory independence allows them to challenge poor practice, conduct impartial research, and ensure that people’s voices are heard without fear or favour. The letter states:

“People often tell us we are the first service to truly listen and the only one that follows up to ensure they receive the support needed.” 

The letter draws on lessons from the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust scandal, where failures in local scrutiny contributed to serious harm. It argues that dismantling independent advocacy would repeat past mistakes and weaken public accountability.

We, and the signatories, are calling for a meeting with the Secretary of State and are urging the government to strengthen - not dismantle - independent public voice initiatives.

Read the full letter at the end of this article.

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What is Local Healthwatch?

Local Healthwatch is the statutory health and social care champion for England. There are 152 local Healthwatch services, each commissioned by their local authority and working independently to gather public feedback, provide information and signposting, and influence improvements in services and care.

Local Healthwatch was established by the Health and Care Act 2012, with statutory powers to put people at the heart of health and social care design and delivery.  For nearly 13 years, Healthwatch Wokingham Borough has used its independence to serve as a trusted, impartial voice for borough residents, carers and communities.

Annual reach:

Across England, Healthwatch helps over one million people each year to share their experiences to improve care, and access support and advice about health and social care services.

Policy context:

The 10-Year Health Plan for England, published on 3 July 2025, and the Penny Dash Review of Patient Safety, published on 7 July 2025, both propose ending the independent patient voice by closing national and local Healthwatch bodies. They recommend transferring public engagement functions to NHS commissioners and councils.

Why independence matters:

Whilst we welcome plans to strengthen the local authority and health providers’ role in engaging with residents and communities, we are concerned that independent representation for local people will be lost.  

If these proposals pass into law, it will mark the end of all independent statutory services, which have existed since 1974 to act on behalf of local people and to give them a strong voice across a complex and often impenetrable health and social care services landscape.

Local Healthwatch’s impartiality is essential for building trust and driving meaningful change in health and care systems.

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Open Letter to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care 

Re: The Future of Public Voice and the Importance of Independent Advocacy

Dear Secretary of State, 

We, the Chief Officers/Chairs of local Healthwatch services across England, are deeply concerned by the government’s proposal to bring public voice functions under the control of local authorities and NHS bodies - undermining the independence that makes public feedback effective.

For over a decade, Healthwatch has served as a trusted, impartial voice for members of the public, carers, and communities. Our statutory independence enables us to speak truth to power, challenge poor practice, and amplify the experiences of those too often unheard - particularly the most vulnerable and those with the most complex needs. We work constructively with local systems, but always with the freedom to raise concerns without fear or favour.

The Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust scandal stands as a stark reminder of the consequences of failing to listen. The Francis Inquiry made clear that independent scrutiny and public advocacy are essential. It also exposed the failure of local democratic scrutiny mechanisms, which lacked the expertise to detect serious failings - giving false reassurance to regulators.

Bringing public voice functions in-house risks creating a system where feedback is filtered, inconvenient truths are softened, and accountability is diluted. It sends the wrong message at a time when public trust in institutions must be rebuilt, not eroded.

We have countless examples of where people have chosen to share their experiences with local Healthwatch instead of providers, due to fear of repercussions, previous dismissal, or lack of access. People often tell us we are the first service to truly listen and the only one that follows up to ensure they receive the support needed.

Beyond gathering feedback, Healthwatch provides trusted, independent information and signposting to help people navigate complex health and care systems. We also respond to concerns from the public by carrying out Enter and View visits and conducting focused research that has resulted in real changes to local services.

Our local knowledge and impartial advice are often the only support available to those struggling to access services - something not readily offered by the NHS or local authorities, nor covered in the new 10-Year Health Plan.

Since 1974 there has been continuous parliamentary support for independent public voice initiatives being able to hold services to account. Therefore, we urge you to reconsider this direction. Instead of dismantling independence, we should be strengthening it - ensuring every community has access to strong, well-resourced, and fearless local public voice initiatives that hold services to account and shape care that truly meets people’s needs.

We ask to meet with you to discuss why preserving independent public voice is essential. We remain committed to improving services - but cannot do so effectively if our independence is compromised.

Yours sincerely,

The Chief Officers/Chairs of 131 Local Healthwatch services

Manisha Modhvadia - Healthwatch Barking and Dagenham

Debra Gordon - Healthwatch Barnet

Sarah Campbell - Healthwatch Barnet

Dan Rogers - Healthwatch Barnet, Healthwatch Croydon, Healthwatch Haringey and Healthwatch Hounslow

Lesley Cooper - Healthwatch Barnsley

Amrit Kaur - Healthwatch Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire

Kevin Peltonen-Messenger - Healthwatch Bath and North East Somerset, Healthwatch Bristol, Healthwatch Gloucestershire, Healthwatch North Somerset, Healthwatch South Glos, Healthwatch Swindon and Healthwatch Wiltshire

Simone Kerr - Healthwatch Bexley

Andy Cave - Healthwatch Birmingham and Healthwatch Solihull

Sarah Johns - Healthwatch Blackburn with Darwen

Julie Darbyshire - Healthwatch Bolton

Helen Rushworth - Healthwatch Bradford & District

Patricia Zebiri - Healthwatch Brent

Gina Aston - Healthwatch Brent, Healthwatch Kensington & Chelsea and Healthwatch Westminster

Alan Boyd - Healthwatch Brighton and Hove

Geoffrey Bowden - Healthwatch Brighton and Hove

Carolina Echegaray - Healthwatch Bristol, Healthwatch North Somerset and Healthwatch South Gloucestershire

Charlotte Bradford - Healthwatch Bromley

Zoe McIntosh - Healthwatch Bucks

Andrew Holland - Healthwatch Bury

Stacey Appleyard - Healthwatch Calderdale and Healthwatch Kirklees

Jess Slater - Healthwatch Cambridgeshire and Healthwatch Peterborough

Stephen Heard - Healthwatch Camden

Diana Blackmun - Healthwatch Central Bedfordshire

Louise Barry - Healthwatch Cheshire East and Healthwatch Cheshire West

Rachel Cleave - Healthwatch City of London

Debbie Gilbert - Healthwatch Cornwall

Julia Catharall - Healthwatch County Durham

David Blacklock - Healthwatch County Durham, Healthwatch Cumberland, Healthwatch Lancashire

Gordon Kay - Healthwatch Croydon, Healthwatch Stockton-On-Tees and Healthwatch Westmorland and Furness

Sally Thoburn - Healthwatch Cumberland

Michelle Thompson - Healthwatch Darlington

James Moore - Healthwatch Derby

Helen Henderson - Healthwatch Derbyshire

Pat Harris - Healthwatch Devon, Healthwatch Plymouth and Healthwatch Torbay

Fran Joel - Healthwatch DoncasterLouise Bate - Healthwatch Dorset

Jason Griffiths - Healthwatch Dudley

Carleen Duffy - Healthwatch Ealing, Healthwatch Hammersmith and Fulham, Healthwatch Hillingdon and Healthwatch Lewisham

Helen Grimwood - Healthwatch East Riding, Healthwatch Hull, Healthwatch North East Lincolnshire and Healthwatch North Lincolnshire

Carrie Duran - Healthwatch East Riding, Healthwatch Hull, Healthwatch North Lincolnshire, Healthwatch North East Lincolnshire

Veronica Kirwan - Healthwatch East Sussex

Sam Glover - Healthwatch Essex

Yvonne Probert - Healthwatch Gateshead and Healthwatch Newcastle

Lucy White - Healthwatch Gloucestershire

Dave Wilson - Healthwatch Halton

Lydia Hughes - Healthwatch Halton and Healthwatch Warrington

Stephen John - Healthwatch Hampshire, Healthwatch Portsmouth, Healthwatch Reading, Healthwatch Somerset, Healthwatch Southend, Healthwatch West Berkshire and Healthwatch Wokingham Borough

Paul Addae - Healthwatch Haringey

Yaa Asamany - Healthwatch Harrow

Christopher Ackers-Belcher - Healthwatch Hartlepool

Ian Buckmaster - Healthwatch Havering

Christine Price - Healthwatch Herefordshire

Ivana Chalmers - Healthwatch Hertfordshire

Lisa Taylor - Healthwatch Hillingdon

Lynn Hill - Healthwatch Hillingdon

Aastha Binjrajka - Healthwatch Hounslow

Catherine Fuller - Healthwatch Isles of Scilly

Laura Saksena - Healthwatch Islington

Robbie Goatham - Healthwatch Kent

Stephen Bitti - Healthwatch Kingston upon Thames

David Aspin - Healthwatch Knowsley

Paul Mavers - Healthwatch Knowsley

Folake Segun - Healthwatch Lambeth

Hannah Davies - Healthwatch Leeds

Gemma Barrow - Healthwatch Leicester and Healthwatch Leicestershire

Liz Ball - Healthwatch Lincolnshire

Navaz Sutton - Healthwatch Lincolnshire

Sarah Thwaites - Healthwatch Liverpool

Pat Lattimer - Healthwatch Luton

Neil Walbran - Healthwatch Manchester

Svajune Ulinskiene - Healthwatch Medway

Dave Curtis - Healthwatch Merton

Maxine Taffetani - Healthwatch Milton Keynes

Danielle Ruane - Healthwatch Network Greater Manchester

Pratima Dattani - Healthwatch North Northamptonshire

Paul Jones - Healthwatch North Tyneside

Ashley Green - Healthwatch North Yorkshire

Derry Nugent - Healthwatch Northumberland

Sabrina Taylor - Healthwatch Nottingham and Healthwatch Nottinghamshire

Veronica Barry - Healthwatch Oxfordshire

Alice Kunjappy-Clifton - Healthwatch Reading and Healthwatch Wokingham Borough

Cathy Turland - Healthwatch Redbridge

Mike Derry - Healthwatch Richmond

Simon Boddis - Healthwatch Richmond

Kate Jones - Healthwatch Rochdale

Margaret Parker - Healthwatch Rochdale

Duncan Gall - Healthwatch Rotherham

Kate Holt - Healthwatch Rutland and Healthwatch West Northamptonshire

Sam Cook - Healthwatch Salford

Alexia Farmer - Healthwatch Sandwell

Amritpal Randhawa - Healthwatch Sandwell

Diane Blair - Healthwatch Sefton

Lucy Davies - Healthwatch Sheffield

Lynn Cawley - Healthwatch Shropshire

Sheila Scott - Healthwatch South Tyneside

Amanda Kelly - Healthwatch Southampton

Owen Richards - Healthwatch Southend

Rhyana Ebanks-Babb - Healthwatch Southwark

Jayne Parkinson-Loftus - Healthwatch St Helens

Anna Mather - Healthwatch Staffordshire

Maria Kildunne - Healthwatch Stockport

Simon Fogell - Healthwatch Stoke-on-Trent and Healthwatch Telford and Wrekin

Andy Yacoub - Healthwatch Suffolk

Samantha Botsford - Healthwatch Surrey

Janet Wingrove - Healthwatch Sutton

Alex Leach - Healthwatch Tameside

Andy Latham - Healthwatch Trafford

Lewis Smith-Connell - Healthwatch Wakefield

Aileen Farrer - Healthwatch Walsall

Dianne Barham - Healthwatch Waltham Forest

Stephen Hickey - Healthwatch Wandsworth

Norman Holding - Healthwatch Warrington

Kate Rees - Healthwatch Westmorland and Furness

Lacey Briscoe - Healthwatch Wigan and Leigh

Kirsteen Sheppard - Healthwatch Wirral

Stacey Lewis - Healthwatch Wolverhampton

Siân Balsom - Healthwatch York