Plans to abolish Healthwatch spark fears for patient voice in NHS, think tank warns

Credit: Getty Images/SeventyFour

By Claudia Tanner

The government's plan to abolish Healthwatch risks dismantling over a decade of trusted community relationships and leaving vulnerable patients without an independent voice, a King's Fund report warns.

In June 2025, the government announced it would close the statutory body and its 153 local organisations, transferring functions to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS integrated care boards (ICBs). The decision followed the Dash review, which argued too many organisations were collecting patient feedback, creating duplication and confusion.

A trusted but limited voice

Created partly in response to the Mid Staffordshire care scandal, Healthwatch has amplified public concerns about NHS admin failures and access to GP and dentistry. Its independence from government and the NHS built trust and allowed it to "draw attention to inconvenient or uncomfortable truths."

However, the report highlights a key weakness: limited power to enforce change. Healthwatch could report issues but couldn't hold the system to account.