Healthwatch England to survive after MPs force U-turn
Yvette Cooper reversed a plan to merge the patient watchdog into local councils after objections from all three major parties.
By Leah Thompson ·
Healthwatch England will not be abolished.
Health Secretary Yvette Cooper dropped the plan to scrap the independent body after facing cross-party criticism. The organization will keep its legal status and see its role expanded within the NHS.
This move is the latest reversal on the government's health bill. Prime Minister Andy Burnham took office in July, and his cabinet has since backtracked on several core proposals. Department sources said Cooper believes in local accountability and shared that view with Burnham. The body and its 150 local branches will continue collecting patient feedback.
Cooper said patients need a voice in the health service. She stated that she had always stressed the importance of community input. "We will retain Healthwatch England and Local Healthwatch, while strengthening them to ensure patient voices are heard and can influence real change across health and care services," she told The Guardian.
Gillian Merron, the health minister in the Lords, will confirm the change during upcoming debates. Labour, Conservative, and Liberal Democrat MPs had all argued against the original plan. They supported the statutory body because it helps identify where NHS care fails to meet patient needs.
Healthwatch has published reports on issues like shrinking dental access and long waits for ADHD assessments. The group has also noted weaknesses in patient communication, such as receiving appointment notices after the visit date has passed. The previous government plan would have moved these functions into regional integrated care boards and local councils. Under the new approach, Healthwatch will focus on spotting recurring quality and safety concerns.
The Local Government Association had warned that abolition might make NHS organizations look like they were marking their own homework. Ministers have also dropped plans to remove automatic council seats on integrated care boards and to scrap the Health Services Safety Investigations Body. Thea Stein of the Nuffield Trust said the decision avoids throwing away the independence that gave the group credibility.
Source: The Guardian
