Healthwatch Cheshire West publish Annual Report 2025-26

It has been another busy year for our team of staff and volunteers, out in the community listening to the people of Cheshire West and Chester and using what we hear to push for better health and care. More than 5,000 people had their say this year, and we came away with a clearer picture than ever of what’s working well and where things still need to change.

Much of our work has focused on making it easier to get the care you need, when you need it. We heard from over 1,400 residents about what it’s really like trying to get a GP appointment, and took those voices straight to the NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB Board, where they’re now helping shape the Primary Care Access Recovery Plan. We also worked with the Cheshire and Merseyside Endoscopy Network on missed diagnostic appointments, helping bring about a real fall in the number of people missing out each month.

Our Enter and View visits took us back to Leighton and the Countess of Chester A&E departments to check on corridor care, and out to care homes across the borough, where we heard from over a hundred residents and families. We also gathered feedback on the NHS App, sharing it directly with the national design team, and made sure rural voices were part of the conversation shaping Cheshire West and Chester’s new Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2026-31.

It’s been a year of real uncertainty nationally about the future of Healthwatch, and we’ve felt that keenly. But it’s also reminded us how much our independence matters — it’s what lets people speak to us honestly, in a way they might not always feel able to with the services themselves. Whatever changes lie ahead, that hasn’t changed how we work.

We hope you enjoy reading more about our work this year, and that you’ll share in our pride at what our team and volunteers have achieved.

You can read the report here: Annual Reports