Strengthening the patient voice after Healthwatch (HSJ, 15 April 2026)

Summary

Removing Healthwatch threatens a decade of progress, leaving patient voice searching for structure, influence and meaningful impact

For more than a decade, Healthwatch has been a pillar of the patient voice sector, gathering people’s stories of their experiences, using data to spot problems, and pushing national conversations on a range of issues, from NHS dentistry to hospital discharge.

But following the government’s announcement of the closure of Healthwatch England and all 153 local Healthwatch organisations, the system is at a crossroads. What happens to the patient voice now?

A King's Fund report explores exactly that. From interviews and workshops with key local and national stakeholders, as well as an evidence scan, it found that Healthwatch effectively gathered insights from communities about health and care services to draw attention to crucial issues when they were being overlooked by the wider system, but had limited levers to bring about change.