Our response to the NHS 10 Year Plan
Our response to the NHS 10 Year Plan
The 10 Year Health Plan for England – what changes will it bring?
Just a few days ago, the Government published its 10 Year Health Plan for England, called ‘Fit for the Future’. This plan was created using feedback gathered from over 250,000 people across England – including NHS staff. It sets out ambitious plans to reform the NHS and rebuild public trust over the next 10 years.
Healthwatch supported the plan by also holding consultations with local communities – ensuring that everybody, regardless of background or postcode, could help shape the modernisation of the health service.
What improvements could patients see?
The plan's ambition, which proposes bold reforms on how health and care services are funded, delivered and evaluated, is welcome, and has a strong focus on empowering patients throughout.
The plan adopts many recommendations made by Healthwatch as the statutory and independent champion for the voice of patients and the public.
We called for:
- Improved access to GPs and NHS dentistry
- Better use of the community pharmacy
- An improved NHS App
- Mental health emergency care
- A stronger focus on patient experience (and not just performance statistics)
These are all featured in the plan's ambitions and, if realised, will drive up patient experience and satisfaction.
The plan can be summarised by three core shifts:
- From hospital to community
- From analogue to digital
- From sickness to prevention
You can find out more about what the Government hopes to achieve in the short video featured at the start of this article.
A bold plan but with gaps
That said, there are some key improvements that the plan has little or nothing to say about.
We know that poor satisfaction levels with care are linked to more than how quickly people are seen.
Among the things absent from the plan are:
- Increased support for people with disabilities and communication needs to interact with the NHS.
- Better cost-of-living support, including improved schemes to help people with healthcare costs, such as transport.
- Clearer help and support for people while waiting for care.
There also appears to be a move away from the voluntary sector and the model of cross-sector collaboration, suggesting a more individual system approach.
Given our role in shaping the plan and acting as the public champion for the last 12 years, we are deeply disappointed that the plan also suggests that Healthwatch will be closed.
Review of patient safety across the health and care landscape
Dr Penny Dash was asked by Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to review patient safety across health and care in England. The review, which was published yesterday (7th July), examined the role of six bodies, including Healthwatch, that were set up to improve the safety of care.
While the report commends Healthwatch for its significant impact – locally and nationally – recognising that over a million people annually are able to voice their concerns and access advice, the review recommends that the work of local Healthwatch and Integrated Care Boards (for health) and providers (for care) is combined.
The report states:
- The statutory functions of Local Healthwatch relating to healthcare should be combined with the involvement and engagement functions of ICBs to listen to and promote the needs of service users.
- The statutory functions of Local Healthwatch relating to social care (a very small proportion of the work of Local Healthwatch) should be transferred to local authorities in order to improve the commissioning of social care.
- The strategic functions of Healthwatch England should be transferred to the new directorate for patient experience at DHSC. (Department of Health and Social Care).
What does this mean for Healthwatch?
The 10 Year Plan and Dr Penny Dash's review proposes closing Healthwatch England, the national body that supports local Healthwatch teams, and ending all 153 local Healthwatch, including Healthwatch Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
- Local Healthwatch health work would be taken on by NHS Integrated Care Boards/ICBs (those who manage the NHS spend locally) and NHS ''provider engagement''' teams
- Our social care functions will move to local councils (also known as authorities)
- A new National Director of Patient Experience would be set up by the Government and sit within the Department of Health and Social Care – their role would combine parts of Healthwatch and the Patient Safety Commissioner
- Community feedback would be replaced with digital input via the NHS App
We were not consulted
We found out about these changes late on Friday 27th June 2025 because the story had been leaked to the press by the Government. On Saturday 28th June 2025, the Daily Mail reported that the forthcoming Penny Dash Review would recommend the closure of Healthwatch and other independent NHS organisations.
There was no consultation with Healthwatch, with many of our staff, volunteers and Non-Executive Directors receiving the news via telephone call late into the evening on the 27th June.
Unfortunately, there is still no clarity on next steps or timescales.
Healthwatch discussed in Parliament
On Thursday 3 July 2025, Wes Streeting, Health Secretary, confirmed to Parliament that Healthwatch will be closed. He thanked staff but said the Government plans to give power “directly to the patient” and increase political accountability.
We agree with strengthening and emboldening the patient voice. But the approach must include independent advocacy, not just app ratings or party politics.
What does this mean for patients?
For now, nothing has officially changed.
Healthwatch Cambridgeshire and Peterborough remains in place and we will continue to independently champion the voices of patients and the public.
Our team of staff and volunteers will continue to:
- Listen to your experiences
- Help you find the right care and advice
- Share your feedback with those in power
- Make sure your voices shapes future health and care services.
A change would require a new Act of Parliament, which could take a considerable time.
We are currently awaiting more detail to understand the implications from Dr Penny Dash’s review of patient safety which was published only yesterday.
We’ll keep you updated as soon as we know more.
Jess Slater, CEO at Healthwatch Cambridgeshire and Peterborough:
"This is an upsetting and stressful time for our staff, our volunteers, our partners and the public – the way the news broke, with zero consultation, has shown no regard for our dedicated staff and volunteers – people who work tirelessly to ensure that public voices are heard at every level of the health and care system. Some of our staff have worked for Healthwatch for over 10 years - this announcement has been truly heartbreaking.
“Naturally, we are deeply concerned about the implications for patients and service users. Independence is essential to truly effective public engagement. Without it, there is a real risk that the public will lose a trusted, impartial advocate that can hold services to account and speak up without fear or favour.
“We are united in our belief in the vital role Healthwatch plays, and in the values we all share - independence, integrity, and a deep belief in the power of people’s voices to drive positive change.
"We will continue to keep you updated as soon as we have more clarity on the way forward.”
Jonathan Jelley MBE JP, Chair of Healthwatch Cambridgeshire and Peterborough:
“The plans for our functions to be absorbed into ICBs and providers, with social care passing to local authorities, risks silencing the patient voice - impacting relationships and trust with our local communities.
“The Board and I are fully committed to standing with our staff and volunteers through whatever comes next. We’ll be meeting over the coming weeks to consider how we respond together – and how we can make a strong, collective case for the value of Healthwatch, especially while there is still time for decisions to be influenced or reversed.
“Our volunteers and staff are the beating heart of Healthwatch. Their dedication, compassion and generosity of time have helped shape a service that communities across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough truly value and trust. The many messages of support I’ve received in the last few days are a powerful reminder of the impact the team has made.
“We’ll continue to keep everyone updated as we learn more. In the meantime, if you feel strongly about the future of Healthwatch, you might consider writing to your MP or attending one of their local surgeries to share your views. Your voice matters – just as much as the voices we work so hard to champion every day.”
Thank you to the public, our staff, volunteers, the NHS and partners
We’ve been overwhelmed by the kind words and support from members of the public, NHS partners and the voluntary sector.
We remain committed to standing up for people in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough — especially those who often go unheard.
Whatever happens next, your voice matters — and we’re still here to help it be heard.
Find out more
Watch the videos above for a deeper look at what the Government’s 10 Year Health Plan means for health and care services across England.
- Dr Penny Dash Review: Review of patient safety across the health and care landscape - GOV.UK
- NHS 10 Year Health Plan for England: 10 Year Health Plan for England: fit for the future - GOV.UK
