Healthwatch Stockport Responds to Announcement of Healthwatch Closure
The decision, as reported by the BBC and various other media outlets, risks silencing the voices of thousands of people across Stockport and the rest of the country who rely on Healthwatch to speak up for their experiences — good and bad — and to hold health and care services to account.
For over a decade, Healthwatch Stockport has worked tirelessly to ensure that local people are heard, their needs understood, and their feedback acted upon by decision-makers in the NHS and social care. We’ve worked in care homes, hospitals, GP surgeries, and with seldom-heard communities — not only highlighting concerns but helping shape real improvements to services.
Chair of Healthwatch Stockport, Sue Carroll said:
“This is not just the closure of an organisation — it’s the removal of a trusted bridge between the public and the services they rely on. Healthwatch has given people a voice who often felt voiceless. Its abolition is a backward step for accountability, transparency, and community health empowerment.”
Chief Executive Maria Kildunne added:
“The decision to dismantle Healthwatch raises critical questions: Who will now listen to local people? Who will independently amplify the concerns of those with additional needs and those of us who generally struggle to access services? Our Information and Advice service has been a life line to some, where others have passed them on. Healthwatch Stockport has always stood up for our residents. We will continue to advocate for local people as long as we are able.”
We call on the government to urgently reconsider this decision, engage with local communities, and work with Healthwatch organisations to find a way forward that does not leave patients in the dark.
Healthwatch Stockport would like to thank our dedicated members, volunteers, staff, and the thousands of people who have shared their stories with us. Your voices matter — and we will fight to ensure they continue to be heard.
We don’t have much more details than are in the media but as soon as we know more, we will update our website and social media channels.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Suzi Collins
Communications Officer
Healthwatch Stockport
Email: Comms@healthwathstockport.co.uk
Phone: 0161 974 0753
Website: www.healthwatchstockport.co.uk
