Government plans to abolish the network of Healthwatch patient watchdog organisations that work with councils to monitor NHS and adult social care services have been criticised by the Local Government Association (LGA).

It says that the NHS Modernisation Bill proposal would undermine local, independent scrutiny of services.

The councils’ representative body is calling for ‘urgent clarity’ on how funding and statutory duties for patients’ views will be handled in the future.

It is concerned that Healthwatch is being disbanded ‘without setting out a clear independent replacement’ with responsibility for gathering feedback resting on the providers of the services themselves.

Currently Healthwatch has ‘an important statutory role’ through its representation within Health and Wellbeing and Safeguarding Adults boards, says the LGA.

The Bill confirms that Healthwatch organisations will be abolished and the current obligation on councils to work with the watchdogs will be removed.

It also says that some Healthwatch functions could be delivered by councils and Integrated Care Boards, which are made up of local NHS and care services.  

‘The current proposals to disband Healthwatch and allow health and social care services to gather and respond to feedback, rather than being challenged by an independent voice, risks organisations being seen to mark their own homework,’ said LGA health and wellbeing committee chair, Cllr Wendy Taylor.

She wants the Government to ‘pause’ the measure so ministers can work with councils and their health and care partners ‘to develop a clear and workable model for local patient and public voice that maintains independence, joins up insight across health and social care, and delivers meaningful accountability’.

Axing Healthwatch organisations ‘could also create confusion and frustration for people’ who need to share their views about both health and social care to ‘two different parts of the system’, she added.

There are currently more than 150 local Healthwatch organisations in England.

In a statement, Liverpool’s Healthwatch stressed that the measures are ‘proposals at this stage’ and that ‘we will continue to monitor the progress of the Bill and share updates as the Parliamentary process continues and further detail becomes available’.

A Department for Health and Social Care spokesperson said that abolishing Healthwatch is ‘part of plans to simplify the patient safety landscape’.

They added: ‘By bringing the patient voice closer to decision-makers, people’s experiences will have a more direct impact on services.

‘We value the work of local Healthwatch organisations, but these changes will give patients and service users a stronger, clearer voice at the heart of health and social care.’