Cheshire council leaders write to Secretary of State on Healthwatch abolition

Leaders across Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester Councils have written jointly to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, urging the Government to reconsider its plans to abolish Healthwatch.

In June 2025, the Government announced that Healthwatch would close as part of wider NHS reforms. Healthwatch Cheshire CIC has operated since 2013, co-commissioned by Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester Councils. Over that time, it has heard from tens of thousands of residents, shaped local services, and brought community insight into the heart of NHS and local authority decision-making – independently of the organisations it holds to account.

The letter, dated 7 May 2026 and copied to ten local MPs, sets out the value that Healthwatch Cheshire has brought over more than a decade – ensuring that the views and experiences of residents are heard and reflected in service design and delivery.

Central to their concerns is the loss of independence. Healthwatch Cheshire gives residents the confidence to speak openly and anonymously where desired, enabling honest challenge as well as constructive partnership with health, care and prevention system partners. That combination – trusted by communities precisely because it sits outside the system it scrutinises – is not something that can easily be replicated elsewhere.

The letter is jointly signed by council leaders, chief executives, directors of public health, and executive directors for adult and children’s services from both councils.

For more on the work Healthwatch Cheshire does and the difference it has made locally, read our Value of Local Independent Voice summary. Read the full letter here