Call to action: Respond to the Health Reform Bill
We are at a critical moment for the future of the independent patient and public voice in health and social care.
Proposals within the Health Reform Bill would see the abolition of local Healthwatch, removing a long-established, independent champion for communities. This is a significant shift, and one that risks weakening accountability, transparency, and genuine public involvement across the health and social care system.
We are urging everyone to act now by responding to the parliamentary committee’s call for evidence:
https://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2026/june-2026/health-bill-call-for-evidence/
The deadline to do this is by the 16th of June.
Why this matters:
- 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 Gateshead, 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.
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371 people came to us for clear advice and information on topics such as General Practice, Hospitals and Neurodivergence.
526 people participated in our research projects this year, and as a result we published 7 reports.
To see other examples of our work and evidence of our impact, you can read our most recent Annual Report, Latest Insights or any of our published reports.
