Department of Health and Social Care written question – answered at on 4 March 2026.
Nadia Whittome
Labour, Nottingham East
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will ensure that human, qualitative patient insight is not displaced by digital, survey-based and institution-led feedback once local Healthwatch is abolished.
Zubir Ahmed
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Care
As set out in the Dash Review of the patient safety landscape published in July 2025, and in the 10-Year Health Plan, the statutory functions of local Healthwatch bodies will be transferred to integrated care boards (ICBs) for health, and to local authorities (LAs) for social care.
Both ICBs and LAs will be required to demonstrate how they have gathered patient and user feedback from local people including those who do not have access to digital platforms, those who are less proficient with technology, and people for whom English is a second language.
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Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
