Healthwatch Shropshire calls on public to protect independent health voice

Healthwatch Shropshire is issuing an urgent call to the public to sign a national petition to safeguard the independence of the public’s voice in local health and social care. The organisation fears that proposed changes under the NHS 10-Year Plan could fundamentally silence patients and carers across the county.

The warning comes as the future of Healthwatch England and the 152 local Healthwatch bodies is under threat of being absorbed into local authorities and NHS Integrated Care Boards (ICBs). ICBs are the very bodies responsible for commissioning and overseeing the quality of local services.

Risk to Accountability and Trust

Healthwatch Shropshire argues that this proposed change would strip away its vital independence. That independence, they stress, is essential for holding services to account and ensuring patient feedback is genuinely heard and acted upon.

A spokesperson for Healthwatch Shropshire highlighted the severity of the threat:

"This is not a minor adjustment. It is a fundamental shift that risks silencing the voices of patients, carers, and communities. Without independence, feedback may be filtered, concerns may go unchallenged, and the public may lose confidence in speaking up."

Healthwatch acts as a trusted, safe channel, particularly for vulnerable people and those facing health inequalities, to share their experiences. The organisation cited recent comments that demonstrate its value: "You have made me feel as if I can breathe again and that I have been listened to."

What is at Stake?

Healthwatch is shaped entirely by the stories and experiences shared by local people, which inform its reports and influence its recommendations. Removing its independence compromises several key functions:

Loss of a Safe Space: The public may lose a secure and trusted place to share concerns about health and care services.

Compromised Scrutiny: Transparency and accountability could be severely compromised if the watchdog becomes part of the system it is meant to scrutinise.

Slower Progress: Improvement in services may slow without the constructive, impartial challenge that an independent body provides.

Call to Action

Healthwatch Shropshire is urging the government to reconsider the decision to abolish independent Healthwatch services, to engage with the public to co-design a future model that genuinely meets local needs, and to invest in and strengthen existing independent public voice initiatives.

Time is running out. The organisation warns that failure to act now risks losing the only statutory, impartial mechanism the public has to influence health and care services, with consequences that will be felt most deeply by those already struggling to be heard.