Health Secretary Cooper retains Healthwatch England after parliamentary backlash

Healthwatch England operates through a network of 150 branches that the government initially intended to dissolve as part of a wider reorganisation of the health service in England. The Department of Health and Social Care has now reversed that decision, opting to retain the statutory body and extend its mandate. Health Secretary Yvette Cooper made the change after facing objections from lawmakers across the political spectrum. The shift marks the latest adjustment to core provisions of the health bill since Andy Burnham took office as prime minister in July.

Sources at the Department of Health and Social Care indicated that the decision reflects a shared belief among ministers in the value of local and public accountability. Under the revised plan, Healthwatch England and its branches will continue to gather and analyze patient feedback regarding their experiences with the NHS. The body will also take on a larger role in identifying recurring issues related to quality, safety, and patient experience. Previously, the government planned to transfer these functions to NHS regional integrated care boards and local councils.

Cooper stated that patients require a distinct voice within the health service. She explained that her administration would retain both Healthwatch England and Local Healthwatch while strengthening them. The goal, she said, is to ensure that patient voices can influence real change across health and care services. Gillian Merron, the health minister in the Lords, will confirm the change of plan when peers debate the health bill.

Parliamentarians from the Labour, Conservative, and Liberal Democrat parties criticized the original proposal to abolish the body. Supporters argued that Healthwatch helps identify where care lags behind patient needs and holds the service to account. The organization has published reports on issues such as declining access to NHS-funded dental treatment and long waiting times for ADHD assessments. It has also identified flaws in patient communication, including notices of appointments sent after the date has passed.

The Local Government Association warned that removing Healthwatch would risk making NHS organizations appear to assess their own performance. The group also noted that the change could create confusion for patients. Other recent reversals by the government include the decision to keep the Health Services Safety Investigations Body. Ministers also dropped plans to end automatic council representation on ICB boards and to remove the requirement for a nurse on every NHS foundation trust board.

Thea Stein, chief executive of the Nuffield Trust thinktank, described the planned abolition as the wrong solution to a real problem. She noted that Healthwatch has made it more difficult for the NHS to ignore patient experiences. Stein added that the retreat requires a cultural shift to ensure patient voices are not treated as a low priority in a long list of service demands.