Cornwall Cabinet Member Warns Government Over Plan to Scrap Healthwatch

A body set up to give Cornwall patients an independent say over their health and care could be dismantled, and two of the county’s representatives have told the government they are not happy about it.

Cornwall Council’s Cabinet Lead for Adult Social Care and Health Partnerships, Cllr Jim McKenna, has written an open letter to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care setting out his deep concern over the proposed cessation of Healthwatch. The letter has also been endorsed and signed by North Cornwall MP Ben Maguire.

It is the second time Jim has written on the subject. The first followed last year’s Government announcement of plans to abolish Healthwatch in its current form.

What the letter says

This latest letter reinforces the original plea and now draws on research published by The King’s Fund in March 2026, titled The future of patient voice: learning from the Healthwatch model.

Jim wrote: “This objective and independent report provides the most comprehensive and evidence based assessment to date of the contribution Healthwatch has made since its establishment in 2013, and I am confident it is being actively considered by the Department.”

He went on to highlight the importance of “retaining an independent patient voice”, saying that “the independence of Healthwatch from both government and service providers has been fundamental to its credibility, reach and effectiveness.”

Where the plans came from

In July 2025, the Dash Review was published. This was a national review of the NHS, patient safety and patient experience, led by Doctor Penny Dash. The review looked at how several organisations gather people’s views about health and care, including Healthwatch England and local Healthwatch services.

The Government accepted all of the review’s recommendations. One of those states that local responsibilities for patient voice would be split between those in charge of the local NHS budget and those who plan services.

That split is the part Jim takes issue with. He wrote: “Fragmenting this function across multiple organisations risks losing both coherence and impact and broader insight to inform policy discussions.” He pointed to the risk identified by The King’s Fund that transferring patient voice functions “in house” carries a substantial risk of weakening, rather than strengthening, accountability.

What happens next

The letter ends with a call for further discussions between the Council and the Secretary of State to “adjust course”. Jim also set out plans to seek the support of Cornwall’s MPs “to make the case for the strengthening of the functions rather than dismantling.”

You can read the letter in full here.