A Final Message from Healthwatch Stockport: Thank You for Being Part of Our Journey

Over the past 13 years as Healthwatch Stockport — and for four years before that as part of the Local Involvement Network (LINk) — we have had the privilege of working alongside local people, partners, and communities to ensure that the voices of those using health and care services are heard.

In July, the Government announced its intention to close Healthwatch nationally as part of the new NHS 10-Year Plan.

Following this announcement, we took time to reflect on the proposals and what they would mean for the future. It is therefore with a heavy heart that we confirmed our decision to close our doors on 31 March 2026.

Throughout our time as Healthwatch Stockport, we have worked alongside many of you to help support and amplify the voices of people and communities who use health and care services. Our shared values and collaborative approach have been central to everything we have achieved together in improving health and care services.

We are proud to have been part of a community that works tirelessly for inclusion and positive change, and we hope that we leave a legacy — ensuring that Stockport’s voice remains at the heart of future health and care improvements.

Over the years, thousands of local people have shared their experiences with us — helping to shape research, inform decision-making, and influence improvements across health and care services in Stockport. Although Healthwatch Stockport is now coming to the end of its journey in its current form, the voices, insights and partnerships built over the years will continue to shape conversations about health and care in our community.

What happens next?

In our final months and weeks, we have been winding down our communications while continuing to complete outstanding work programmes, commitments and health and care enquiries. We want to go out as we have always worked — with you and your health and wellbeing at the heart of everything we strive to do.

As Healthwatch is a statutory organisation with health and care responsibilities, the council still has an obligation to ensure some of these statutory functions continue until the legislation is formally changed.

They will over the coming weeks be communicating plans on how Healthwatch statutory functions in Stockport will be covered and by whom.

As we approach the end of our journey, we would like to express our sincere thanks for your contribution to making Healthwatch Stockport such a valued organisation — whether as a colleague, member, stakeholder, volunteer, or part of one of Stockport’s many communities.

We also want to recognise the dedication of our volunteers, whose time, insight, and commitment have helped ensure that local people’s experiences of health and care services are heard and acted upon.

Quite simply, we could not have achieved everything we have without you.

Thank you,

The Healthwatch Stockport Team