Mark Gamsu

Don’t Silence the Patient Voice: Why Abolishing Healthwatch is a Mistake Abolishing local Healthwatch is NOT a foregone conclusion – now is the time for MPs and national and local allies to defend independent public voice in health and care The NHS 10 year plan fl…

ICYMI: Why abolishing Healthwatch is a mistake and why we shouldn’t give up the fight for independent voice. localdemocracyandhealth.com/2025/09/14/d... from the rather wonderful @markgamsu.bsky.social

Me ringing the bell at Weston Park Hospital in Sheffield at the end of 20 days of Radiotherapy. I was taken into the warm & welcoming bosom of the NHS - a great service from reception to radiotherapy staff. Please consider donating to my son’s fundraiser see link! www.justgiving.com/page/harry-g...

So true - a complete failure to acknowledge the importance of trusted relationships

I’m with you - but there are plenty of good people out there - as I say in the blog - sadly no coordination at a national level to marshall the many expressions of concern.

Always interesting - individual vs collective 'power' and the 10 year plan...

While it's possible to imagine patient & public participation bodies with more clout than Healthwatch & Council Overview and Scrutiny, we seem to be seeing less, not more, representation for patients & the public in our NHS. We use it, we pay for it, we demand a aay in how it is designed & run.

Yes I do - but it’s a bit of a battle though!

Apps, providers and commissioners will not identify things like Mid Staffs or the poor maternity care in Shropshire and Nottingham because they are the problem. Independent voices are the only way around the conflicts of interest and the NHS instinct to cover up poor care

Good @sianberry.bsky.social @cateccles.bsky.social @elliechowns.bsky.social @adrianramsay.bsky.social etc have early day motion re plan to abolish Local Healthwatch - more here wp.me/p1zwQG-GgG @oliviablakemp.bsky.social @louisehaighmp.bsky.social @tomhunt100.bsky.social @charlotteaugst.bsky.social

Local Healthwatch is under threat 🚨
Replacing independent watchdogs with apps + in-house consultation = weaker scrutiny, less trust, & lost voices.
It’s not too late to call for a rethink. @felly500.bsky.social @simonduffy.bsky.social @rozdavies.bsky.social
👉 wp.me/p1zwQG-GgG

Don’t Silence the Patient Voice: Why Abolishing Healthwatch is a Mistake

The NHS 10 year plan flags that the Government intends to abolish local Healthwatch. This is part of a wider move away from independent public voice - replacing it with individual NHS apps and a reliance on NHS providers and…

excellent!@healthfoundation.bsky.social has produced a strong and thoughtful critique of the govt NHS 10 year plan - strong on abolition of Healthwatch and Governors too! www.health.org.uk/reports-and-... @careopinion.org.uk @patientlibrary.bsky.social @davidjbuck.bsky.social @felly500.bsky.social

Chance to Dance Sheffield today celebrating community dance in our city - kicking off in our lovely Winter Gardens!

Right Issues – Wrong Actions – Fit for the Future 10 year Health Plan for England

At the centre of the government's Fit for the Future (FFF)is a loss of heart - replaced by an inward looking managerialist response to complex challenges.  The NHS is ours. We need governments to enable citizens to…

Cheers Miles more succinct and to the point than mine!

Of interest @patientlibrary.bsky.social @patients-association.org.uk @felly500.bsky.social @simonduffy.bsky.social @rozdavies.bsky.social @charlotteaugst.bsky.social @centreformh.bsky.social @involveuk.bsky.social @hwsheffield.bsky.social @healthwatchleeds.bsky.social @healthwatchyork.bsky.social

Reading the Governments 'Fit for the future - 10 year health plan for England and came across a concerning soundbite sentence comparing the NHS to the Railways. I think this is inappropriate and says more about the deficits of people who wrote the report rather than of the NHS. wp.me/p1zwQG-Gga

Fighting dirty – Fit For the Future – 10 year health plan for England

The above quote is from page 89 of Fit for the Future - 10 year health plan for England it gives an insight into the quality of analysis  held by the writers of this report. From a quick web search I think that for the year 2023…

This blog looks at the govts abolition of NHS England & cuts to Integrated Care Boards - I worry about inequalities and our failure to get hospitals to engage with the prevention agenda - you can read it here wp.me/p1zwQG-Gg1 @felly500.bsky.social @simonduffy.bsky.social @charlotteaugst.bsky.social

All governments show off their virility by reorganising the NHS….again

One of the reasons why the NHS bodies with the longest history - hospitals - know that they only need to respond VERRRY slowly to NHS commissioners is because the next time they look those commissioners will be gone and…

At last! – Health and the role of neighbourhoods!

It is unusual for me to read a policy document from NHS England that I feel generally pretty positive about. The launch at the end of January the NHSE Neighbourhood Health Guidelines might be an important and hopeful moment. However, in order for…

"Thus reducing all the great preventative work provided, which we then know will impact on GP appointments and hospital admissions. As a charity, with the forthcoming extra cost to our payroll, we do not have the funds to support contracts that should at the very least fully cover their costs." 2/2

From April the Govt increases Employers National Insurance to 15% - my blog shows what this means for the VCSE. wp.me/p1zwQG-Gfs
"We had discussions with our ICB and been told there is no contract value uplift for 25/26. We have no option but to reduce our offering under current contracts." 1/2