The NHS patient watchdog Healthwatch has been saved from closure after ministers reversed plans to scrap it, announcing on Wednesday 28 October that the organisation will instead be retained and strengthened. Healthwatch England and its 150 local branches will continue collecting patient feedback and advising health trusts on improvements, rather than being wound up as planned earlier this year. The announcement was made during a House of Lords debate on the Health Bill 2026-27. Health Secretary Yvette Cooper said patients need a voice in the NHS, adding: “I've always been clear on the importance of people and communities having a say in local services, and that's why I said I would review all reforms in this area.”

Why Healthwatch was facing closure

Healthwatch was set to be abolished under plans published in May as part of the Health Bill, which has passed the Commons and is now in the Lords. Its functions were to be handed to NHS integrated care boards and local councils, with ministers arguing it would give patients a stronger voice. Critics warned that folding the watchdog into the bodies it is meant to hold to account would weaken scrutiny and leave poor experiences harder to surface.

A stronger role for patients

Instead of closure, ministers said Healthwatch will now play a greater role in improving service quality, safety and patient experience. The reversal follows a recent reprieve for the Health Services Safety Investigations Body. The decision leaves the rest of the Health Bill intact, including plans for a single patient record and the abolition of NHS England. But for patients and local communities, the message from ministers is that independent feedback will still have a home — and that the watchdog's 150 branches will keep listening.

Sources: Nursing Times, Pulse Today.