![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0_NHS-crisis.jpg\")
A stock image of a hospital ward(Image: PA)<\/p>\nBirmingham and Solihull Healthwatch chair has hit out at plans to axe the watchdogA stock image of a hospital ward(Image: PA)<\/p>\n
The boss of a Birmingham and Solihull independent health watchdog labelled plans to scrap it as “dangerous”.<\/p>\n
The Government will unveil its 10-Year Health Plan this week, and over the weekend, it was reported that it intends to close several bodies, such as Healthwatch England, to “cut bureaucracy and wasteful spending.”<\/p>\n
But Richard Burden, chair of Healthwatch in Birmingham<\/a> and Solihull<\/a> said it would be a ‘sad day’ if the body set up to be a voice for patients was axed.<\/p>\n READ MORE: I undertook a free health check on a Birmingham bus and others should too<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Healthwatch was set up more than a decade ago under the Health and Social Care Act 2012 with the aim of giving people a stronger say in how services are provided.<\/p>\n Mr Burden said: “Successive governments have said they want patients and the public to have a real say in the care they receive.<\/p>\n “But the patient voice can only be meaningful if it is independent of the system, not part of it.<\/p>\n “That independence has always been part of Healthwatch\u2019s DNA and it is precisely what Ministers appear to be trying to dismantle.<\/p>\n “If reports over the weekend are accurate, Ministers want Healthwatch England\u2019s role to be carried out by a senior manager in the Department of Health and Social Care \u2013 in other words by someone who is part of the very system that Healthwatch is in business to monitor and hold accountable.<\/p>\n “Scrapping Healthwatch England is dangerous and dismantling local Healthwatches like ours would be just as damaging.<\/p>\n We need to talk about knife crime<\/p>\n Kids aged 12 are being killed here in Birmingham. Our children need action, and they need it now.<\/p>\n We’ve spent three months investigating the root causes of knife crime to understand the risks our kids face.<\/p>\n We spent time with those on the front line for our exclusive report, Deep Cuts. Read here<\/a> to see exactly why we’re pushing for these changes:<\/strong><\/p>\n