The Secretary of State responds to the Healthwatch petition
In September 2025, over 130 local Healthwatch organisations united to launch a national petition urging the government to reconsider its decision to abolish Healthwatch. The petition highlighted the importance of maintaining an independent patient voice in health and social care, warning that transferring Healthwatch’s functions to local authorities and NHS bodies would weaken accountability and transparency.
The petition received over 10,000 signatures, prompting a response from Government
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has confirmed that the government will press ahead with its NHS reform plans, part of the wider Ten-Year NHS Plan. These reforms plan to abolish Healthwatch England and all local Healthwatch bodies, with their responsibilities absorbed into NHS and local authority structures. The Department of Health and Social Care argues that this change will make patient engagement more efficient, reduce duplication, and ensure feedback is fed directly into service planning. However, Healthwatch teams feel strongly that removing independence could weaken the patient voice and reduce accountability.
Healthwatch are calling for more signatures, to reach the 100,000 mark which will mean that this issue will be debated in parliament. Please sign and share far and wide to support the campaign to save independent public voice.
Please click here to see the petition.
Current Projects
We are currently looking at pharmacy services in Winterton and have created a survey to capture residents feedback. Information from the survey will be used to write a report with recommendations. The report will be provided to the Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board for their consideration. If you use the Lincolnshire Co-op Winterton Pharmacy and would like to complete a survey please click here.
In April this year, the criteria for accessing non emergency patient transport changed.
This means that unless it is deemed as unsafe or impossible to attend an appointment without help from the Patient Transport service, then you are no longer eligible to access the service.
For more information and to complete our survey please click here.
How we've made a difference (2024 / 25)
Experiences Received
Information Provided
Reports Published