Government plans to end the existence of an independent voice for patients and service users in health and social care have come under challenging scrutiny this week with the publication of a major new report by the respected think tank, the King’s Fund. Healthwatch Birmingham and Solihull, which I chair, has published this response:
Healthwatch Birmingham and Solihull has welcomed the King’s Fund report and has received backing from former Labour Minister Lord Hunt of Kings Heath who was also the first Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation.
Ministers intend to introduce a bill next month that will abolish Healthwatch England and the network of local Healthwatch organisations across the country which speak up for patients and the public and hold NHS and social care services to account. Local Healthwatch also directly provide information and signposting services to help patients and service users navigate the health and social care system. Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, says that these services will be brought “in house” in the future, with local Healthwatch services being transferred to Integrated Care Boards and local authorities themselves, and the responsibilities of Healthwatch England being taken over by a new Director of Patient Experience within the Department of Health and Social Care.
Today’s King’s Fund Report “The Future of Patient Voice; Learning from the Healthwatch Model” underlines that a key strength of Healthwatch is its independence of the system, giving it credibility with the public. This independence has also enabled Local Healthwatch to develop strong relationships within communities to gather feedback and highlight how the health and social care system is working for patients and service users. While the King’s Fund report identifies areas where the current model could be improved further, it concludes that Healthwatch has been more impactful than previous iterations of patient voice functions and underlines that any new system must demonstrate independence of government and the wider health and social care system if it is to retain public trust.
Richard Burden, Chair of Healthwatch Birmingham and Solihull, said today:
“Patients and the public deserve better than to have the NHS and local authorities marking their own homework but that is what will happen if Ministers go ahead with their current plans to scrap independent patient voice.
“The King’s Fund is a balanced analysis of the key issues at stake here and I hope it will encourage Ministers to think again.”
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath added:
“Governments of all colours have recognised the importance of independence in patient voice for over fifty years. Providers of health and social care need to know what patients and service users feel about the care they receive, including things that are sometimes uncomfortable to hear. However genuine Ministers are in encouraging health and social care bodies to monitor patients’ experience themselves, it is vital that service users can always be confident there is also an independent body that can speak up on their behalf, without fear or favour.
“Along with colleagues in both Houses of Parliament I will be working to ensure that this principle is not lost when the forthcoming Health Reform Bill is debated.”
