Healthwatch West Berkshire Welcomes Government Commitment to Public Voice

We're delighted to welcome the Government's announcement that Healthwatch England and local Healthwatch organisations will be retained, with an even stronger focus on public voice and engagement.

This is great news for people and communities across West Berkshire!.

Over the last 18 months, despite uncertainty about the future of Healthwatch, our focus has never changed. We have continued listening to local people, championing their experiences and working with partners to improve health and social care services.

Through our engagement work, outreach in the local area, surveys and community events, we've heard from thousands of residents about issues that matter most to them, including neighbourhood health, access to services, mental health, dentistry, social care and support for seldom-heard groups.

Our latest Annual Report demonstrates the power of your local voices, as it is a testament not only to the work of Healthwatch West Berkshire, but to every resident who has taken the time to share their views and experiences with us.

Your feedback has helped shape conversations, influence decisions and drive positive change across West Berkshire, and we're incredibly proud of what we've achieved together and grateful to everyone who has taken the time to share their experiences with us. Thank you.

Healthwatch West Berkshire continues to be your champion for health and care, ensuring your voices, opinions and experiences help make systems and services work better for people and communities. And, as we look to the future, we're excited to continue strengthening the public voice and making sure local people remain at the heart of decisions about health and care, and will continue our work across the County listening to you, our residents.

We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to The Advocacy People, our host organisation, whose support, guidance and encouragement have been invaluable throughout this period, and we are equally grateful to our Healthwatch West Berkshire Advisory Board for their dedication, expertise and commitment to ensuring local voices are heard and acted upon.

From Fiona, Sami and Hanna, thank you.