The future of patient voice: what a new report means for Healthwatch and beyond

A new report from The King’s Fund, The future of patient voice, explores an important question: how can the health and care system continue to hear from patients and communities if Healthwatch closes?

The report reflects on over a decade of learning from Healthwatch and considers what should happen next. For organisations like Healthwatch Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, and the communities we serve, this raises important opportunities, challenges, and questions about the future.

Why this report matters

Since 2013, Healthwatch has played a key role in gathering people’s experiences of health and social care and using these insights to influence change.

However, following a government announcement in 2025, Healthwatch England and the network of local Healthwatch organisations are expected to close, with responsibilities moving into other parts of the wider system.

This report does not revisit that decision. Instead, it focuses on what has worked well, what could be improved, and how patient voice can continue to shape services in the future.

Key points from the report

1. Independence has been a major strength

One of the clearest findings is that Healthwatch’s independence has been vital. Being separate from the NHS and central government has helped build trust with communities and allowed difficult issues to be raised openly.

This independence has meant people feel more confident sharing their experiences, particularly those who may not otherwise engage with health services.

2. Local insight with national impact

The report highlights the strength of Healthwatch’s “hub and spoke” model, combining local knowledge with a national voice.

Local teams have strong relationships within their communities, while national coordination has helped bring key issues, like access to GP services and dentistry, into wider policy discussions.

3. A powerful source of patient experience

Healthwatch has gathered large volumes of feedback over the years, including both structured and informal insights.

This has helped identify emerging issues early and ensured that real-world experiences inform decision-making.

4. Challenges in influence and structure

The report also recognises that Healthwatch’s impact has sometimes been limited by fragmented structures across the system.

In some cases, patient voice has not had the strategic influence needed to drive consistent, system-wide change.

The pros and cons of the Healthwatch model

What has worked well:

• Trusted and independent voice for patients and communities
• Strong local connections, especially with underrepresented groups
• Ability to highlight emerging issues through real experiences
• A bridge between communities and decision-makers

What could be improved:

• Inconsistent influence across different areas
• Complex system structures, which can limit impact
• Variation in resources and capacity between local Healthwatch organisations
• Challenges ensuring feedback leads to action at a national level

What does the future look like?

The government plans to move Healthwatch functions into organisations such as Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), local authorities, and the Department of Health and Social Care.

This could bring patient voice closer to decision-making. However, the report highlights some important risks:

• Loss of independence, which could affect trust and openness
• Reduced ability to challenge the system
• Potential gaps in how patient experiences are gathered and used

At the same time, there are opportunities. If done well, the new approach could:

• Embed patient voice more directly into planning and commissioning
• Improve accountability across the system
• Strengthen how feedback leads to real change

However, the report is clear that success will depend on whether organisations truly commit to listening and acting on what people say.

What this means for our local area

For Healthwatch Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, this report reflects much of what we see locally every day:

• The importance of listening to people’s experiences
• The value of independent, community-based insight
• The need to ensure feedback leads to real improvements in care

As the system evolves, it will be essential that the voices of local people continue to be heard clearly and acted upon.

Read more and share your views

We would welcome your thoughts:

• What has your experience of Healthwatch been?
• How should patient voice be represented in the future?
• What would help you feel heard when accessing health and care services?

Your feedback is vital in shaping what comes next.