Cooper Drops Plan to Abolish Healthwatch England

Health secretary Yvette Cooper has abandoned plans to abolish Healthwatch England, the NHS's independent patient champion. MPs from across the political spectrum had objected.

Healthwatch England and its 150 local branches will carry on collecting and analysing patients' feedback on the NHS. The government now intends to extend the role of the statutory body. The Guardian reported the decision as an exclusive.

Until now, ministers planned to move its functions into regional integrated care boards and local councils. Under the new plan, Healthwatch will take a bigger part in spotting recurring concerns and pointing out where quality, safety and patient experience need action.

Cooper told the Guardian: "Patients need a voice in our NHS." She said the government would retain Healthwatch England and Local Healthwatch while strengthening them. Gillian Merron, the health minister in the Lords, is due to confirm the change when peers debate the health bill.

Cross-party criticism

Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat parliamentarians had criticised the abolition. Supporters say Healthwatch helps hold the service to account. Its reports have highlighted falling access to NHS dental treatment and waits of years for ADHD assessments. It has also shown that the NHS sometimes tells patients about appointments after the date has passed.

Thea Stein, chief executive of the Nuffield Trust, said abolition "would have thrown away the independence that gave it credibility". The Local Government Association had warned it risked NHS organisations being seen to mark their own homework.

The reprieve is the latest U-turn on the health bill since Andy Burnham became prime minister in July. Ministers have also dropped plans to axe the Health Services Safety Investigations Body, end councils' automatic seats on integrated care boards, and remove the requirement for a nurse on every NHS foundation trust board.

Source: The Guardian