Update: Future of Healthwatch
Updated: Oct 21
The future of Healthwatch was debated in the House of Lords on Tuesday during the second reading of the Health Bill. The Bill currently includes proposals to abolish Healthwatch at both a local and national level, raising important questions about the future of the independent patient voice.
During the debate, Peers discussed the key issues within the Bill and highlighted areas where they believe changes may be needed.
There was strong support from across political parties for keeping an independent patient voice, with many recognising the important role Healthwatch plays in listening to communities, representing people's experiences and holding services to account.
During the debate, Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords, Earl Howe, who steered the Health and Social Care Act 2012 through the Lords and helped establish Healthwatch said:
“The value of Healthwatch is not simply the feedback that it sends to commissioners and providers. It is a route independent of the wider system through which patients and service users can gain a voice."
“It is a way for them to highlight inequalities of access or of outcomes, and in doing so, help to eliminate them.
“It’s a means by which any worrying patterns of service provision can be identified in a timely fashion.”
Earl Howe also said that Healthwatch is “trusted by the ordinary citizens [...] we risk squandering that trust at our peril.”
The Bill will now move to the next stage with further discussions expected to take place at the end of October.
What does this mean for Healthwatch Wokingham Borough?
As we wait for the next stage, our work continues as normal. We remain here to listen to your experiences of health and social care, ensuring voices from the borough are heard to help make positive change to local care and services.
Our statutory powers and responsibilities also remain unchanged while Parliament considers the Bill.
We will keep you posted as the Bill progresses through Parliament.
Thank you for supporting your local Healthwatch.
