Shropshire Council welcomes decision to retain Healthwatch

Shropshire Council has welcomed confirmation that Healthwatch England, and local  organisation Healthwatch Shropshire, will be retained, ensuring residents continue to have an independent voice in health and social care services.  

Healthwatch Shropshire have welcomed the decision

The decision means Healthwatch Shropshire will continue its vital role gathering feedback from local people and making sure their experiences help inform the planning and delivery of health and social care services across the county.  

Cllr Ruth Houghton, portfolio holder for health and adult social care, said: 

“We welcome this decision and are pleased that Healthwatch Shropshire will continue to provide an independent voice for local people.” 

“Listening to residents is essential to developing services that give everybody the opportunity to thrive, a key priority in Shropshire’s corporate plan. Healthwatch plays an important role in gathering people’s experiences and ensuring those views are heard by organisations responsible for planning and delivering health and care services.” 

In a statement published on 29 October, Healthwatch Shropshire said it welcomed the decision, noting that independent representation is particularly important during a period of change across health and social care and that it will continue to ensure local people’s experiences are heard by decision-makers.  

Residents can continue to share their experiences of health and social care services with Healthwatch Shropshire, helping to identify what is working well and where improvements can be made: Healthwatch Shropshire to continue giving local people a voice | Healthwatch Shropshire