I have been involved with Healthwatch for a number of years and have attended their AGM’s
A note from our CEO, Jess Slater…
The Future of Healthwatch in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
I know that many of you will have questions about the future of Healthwatch, so I wanted to provide an update on where things currently stand and what this means for Healthwatch Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
The Health Reform Bill, published in May 2026, proposes the abolition of Healthwatch England and the local Healthwatch arrangements across England.
Under the proposals, the Department of Health and Social Care has stated that the functions currently carried out by local Healthwatch services should be brought in-house. Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) would take responsibility for ensuring that patients and the public have a voice in NHS services, while local authorities would have responsibility for gathering and responding to people’s experiences of social care.
The Government’s stated intention is to bring patient and public feedback closer to the organisations responsible for planning and delivering services.
The Bill has now passed through the House of Commons and has been presented to the House of Lords, where its Second Reading is scheduled for 13 October 2026. If it completes its passage through Parliament, the Bill will then require Royal Assent before becoming law.
What does this mean for you now?
For the moment, it is business as usual at Healthwatch Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
We are still here for you. We continue to provide independent information and signposting to help people find and access health and care services. Just as importantly, we continue to listen to your experiences – good and bad – and make sure your feedback is heard by the organisations that provide, plan and commission local services.
Your voice continues to matter, and our statutory responsibilities remain in place while the legislation progresses through Parliament.
If and when the legislation becomes law, there will need to be a carefully managed transition. We will work with the Integrated Care Board and our local authorities to establish a clear timetable and plan for transferring the relevant statutory functions and, importantly, ensuring that the voices and experiences of local people continue to influence health and social care.
We will keep you informed as the legislation progresses and provide clear updates about what any changes mean for our work and for the people and communities we serve.
In the meantime, please continue to talk to us, share your experiences and use our information and signposting services. We are here, we are listening, and our work continues.
