Government response to national petition calling for action

The Government has responded to the petition to save Healthwatch, after plans were announced earlier this year to close down Healthwatch England and the local Healthwatch network as part of the NHS 10-Year Health Plan.

The petition, which is open until  7 February 2026, calls on the Government to:

• Revisit its decision to abolish local independent services that speak up for the public

• Consult with the public to codesign a service which meets their needs and supports the NHS to realise its ambitions

• Invest in and strengthen independent services

The petition has reached 10,000 signatures, which means the Government must respond. The Government has now issued a response, which can be viewed by clicking here.

Thank you to everyone who has signed the petition so far. With 100,000 signatures, the Government will have to consider debating this in Parliament. If you haven't already signed, please sign the petition to save Healthwatch here.