'We're not giving up or giving in just yet,' says Healthwatch York manager

Yahoo

a day ago

Following the government's announcement that the Healthwatch Network is to close, Siân Balsom, manager of Healthwatch York, has called on local and national leaders to rethink the proposals.
Press readers will already know the government has decided to abolish Healthwatch England and the network of local Healthwatch organisations. Truth be told, here at Healthwatch York, my small team and I are all still reeling from the news. But we're not giving up or giving in just yet.
Healthwatch York started in April 2013. Our role has always been clear to us – putting people at the heart of health and social care. Because the best people to shape services are those using them or, in too many cases, struggling to.
Across England, local Healthwatch organisations have played a vital role in raising patient concerns. We shine a light on service failures. We drive improvements through honest, evidence-based reporting.
Here in York, we have supported people to navigate complex systems and access the help they need. We've published guides to mental health and wellbeing support and dementia support. We've challenged gaps in mental health support both when our mental health hospital was closed at short notice and when we heard ongoing concerns about crisis care. We've worked to improve access to GP services. We've independently evaluated the changes to the adult ADHD and autism pathway. We've taken the concerns of deaf people to the heart of the NHS, helping shape the Accessible Information Standard. We've worked with the universities in our city to make sure more York voices are heard in research.
These achievements were possible because you trusted us to speak up on your behalf. Not as part of the system but as a critical friend holding it to account.
We have a seat at the table – attending the Health and Wellbeing Board and other key strategic meetings. But we've always known this isn't our seat – it belongs to each and every one of you, and we use everything we hear every time we take up that seat. Our independence is what enables us to speak both with authority and with integrity. Your voices are what gives our independence real power. We never forget the responsibility we carry to make sure you are heard.
We've been told our roles will be absorbed into local authorities and integrated care boards. Our role in listening to people and gathering feedback will be replaced by the NHS app. We have serious concerns about those voices that will never be heard in such a system. Those who don't have smartphones, or the data to use them. Those living with health conditions that mean regular hospital stays are inevitable, and fear speaking out will impact their long-term care. Those who feel they are fighting the system already and have lost faith in its ability to change. Those who just want to tell their story, in their own words and their own time. We know this matters, because people frequently let us know that in telling us it is the first time this happens for them.
Having read the NHS 10-year plan and Penny Dash's second review of patient safety, there is real concern they simply don't understand what we do. We've been described as 'ventriloquists' and 'checkers' in a system that needs more doers. We do not recognise this description of our work. We ARE doers. We're out and about week in, week out, visiting care homes, local libraries, sitting down with carers groups and disabled people's organisations, community groups and local charities. We work closely with our voluntary sector partners to amplify the voices of those least heard in health and care. And we choose our priorities based on what you tell us every day – with more than 160 people in York speaking to us in June 2025 alone.
We believe the proposed changes are a mistake. We urge local and national leaders to reflect on what will be lost if Healthwatch is stripped of its independence. An effective health and social care system must include a strong, visible, and impartial patient voice, one that listens without fear or favour, and speaks up without interference.
Despite the announcement, for us it is business as usual. We will continue at least until new legislation confirms the abolition and this is not expected until 2026. Your voices, your experiences, helping you access the help you need – these remain our priority. Email us at [e-mail] or phone: [phone].
If like us you think independent voice matters, and you want to raise your concerns, please contact your local MP.
We also expect to be sharing a petition alongside our Healthwatch network colleagues shortly.