Pause for reflection

I felt I had to react to the recent statement from Wes Streeting:

“There are many decent people working at Healthwatch who care. But the job of listening to patients can’t be farmed out to an arm’s-length body. It must be core business for the NHS. That is why we’re taking it back in-house and I won’t back down on that either.”

The reason Healthwatch started was precisely because the previous processes whereby the NHS effectively marked their own homework were not working. The crisis at Mid Staffs is often quoted as evidence that it was not working.

If Healthwatch is to be abolished I hope some thought will be given to how patients, carers and public will have robust mechanisms to access independent advice and signposting. I also hope accessing social care will form part of whatever arrangements are put in place.

These things matter to everyone, but they are of greatest importance to those who find it most difficult to have their voices, needs and aspirations properly heard.

I do not doubt that these things matter to the Government, but we should try to get them right from the outset.