Petition - Keep independent services that give people a voice in NHS and Social Care
The recently published 10-year Health Plan and the Penny Dash review into Patient Safety set out national reforms across the health and social care landscape that will close the local Healthwatch network in due course when legal changes are enacted.
The reforms will change how services engage with people and communities across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
The mission of Healthwatch has always been to make sure that people’s experiences are heard and acted upon, amplifying voices which otherwise might not be heard. We provide an independent place for the public to raise concerns and obtain advice and support. That independence allows the public, through Healthwatch, to hold NHS and social care services to account.
Our concern at Healthwatch Rutland is that the proposals to bring public voice functions under the control of local authorities and NHS bodies threaten to compromise the impartiality and effectiveness of feedback and the trust of the public. We believe independence is essential for transparency, accountability and meaningful change.
National petition
The petition calls on the Government to protect the independence of local voices and we ask for your support in signing it: Keep independent services that give the public a voice in NHS and Social Care
Why is it important to maintain the independent public voice?
- Critical friend- working collaboratively with local stakeholders with the freedom to raise concerns without fear or favour. Services can’t be held to account by the same bodies that fund or manage them.
- Trusted and impartial- people want an independent service because they often lack trust and fear repercussions of sharing their feedback direct with those providing their care.
- Driven by people - seeking out people with lived experience about the barriers they and their communities face.
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A bridge across sectors – people do not fit neatly into one box, they often experience and need services across multiple providers. Connecting voluntary sector organisations, local authorities, health services and communities to build more integrated and inclusive services.
Independence is essential for honest feedback and meaningful scrutiny.
We believe Government needs to:
- Invest in and strengthen independent public voice services
- Work with local Healthwatch and the public to co-design a service that puts people first and meets their needs
- Recognise the role independent voice can play in supporting the three shifts outlined in the 10-year Health Plan – by providing constructive challenge and supporting coproduction, particularly with communities facing the greatest health and care needs
