Abolishing patient watchdog leaves NHS 'marking own homework', councils warn

Abolishing the organisation which champions diligent views connected wellness and societal attraction would permission the NHS "marking their ain homework", a radical representing section councils successful England and Wales has warned.

Healthwatch is an autarkic assemblage which represents the views of patients connected their section wellness and societal attraction providers to assistance amended the services they offer.

Speaking to BBC News, the Local Government Association (LGA) says that disbanding Healthwatch could make a "fragmented system" which would undermine accountability.

The Department for Health and Social Care says these changes volition springiness patients a "stronger, clearer dependable astatine the bosom of wellness and societal care".

The LGA says it's acrophobic by the deficiency of a program for an alternate to Healthwatch, which presently challenges the NHS and providers of attraction services successful the community, erstwhile patients oregon the nationalist item problems.

They pass that disbanding Healthwatch would beryllium a "significant measurement back" successful accountability.

"Without an independent, locally rooted dependable to situation and correspond communities, determination is simply a hazard of duplication and gaps successful accountability," the LGA said.

It is calling connected the authorities to "work with section government" and make a "clear and workable model" which fulfills Healthwatch's relation portion maintaining independence.

Healthwatch is acceptable to beryllium scrapped arsenic portion of broader measures - which see the abolition of NHS England - to centralise the moving of wellness and societal attraction services nether the Department for Health and Social Care.

The authorities says this volition trim bureaucracy and let much resources to beryllium delivered to frontline healthcare services.

The plans are being introduced successful the NHS Modernisation Bill which is going done parliament and having its 2nd speechmaking connected Monday 1 June.

Under these proposals, Healthwatch's responsibilities volition beryllium transferred to integrated attraction boards (ICBs) and section authorities, meaning they would person to respond to feedback astir their ain services, alternatively than being challenged by an autarkic body.

Councillor Dr Wendy Taylor MBE, seat of the Local Government Association's wellness and wellbeing committee, said this was akin to wellness services "marking their ain homework".

The LGA is besides acrophobic that this "fragmented approach" could widen the spread betwixt wellness and societal care, and she called connected the authorities to enactment with section councils.

Healthwatch employs much than 500 unit and is supported by 4,000 volunteers crossed its nationalist and section offices.

There are presently much than 150 section Healthwatch organisations successful England whose powers besides include:

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said abolishing Healthwatch England was portion of plans "to simplify the diligent information landscape".

"By bringing the diligent dependable person to decision-makers, people's experiences volition person a much nonstop interaction connected services," a spokesperson said.

"We are reforming however the NHS operates to marque it easier to entree care. We worth the enactment of section Healthwatch organisations, but these changes volition springiness patients and work users a stronger, clearer dependable astatine the bosom of wellness and societal care."