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22.06.16

Healthwatch England to reduce staff numbers and work more closely with local groups

Healthwatch England will cut staffing numbers and work more closely with local groups, a paper at today’s CQC board meeting says.

The paper, from Susan Robinson, the acting national director, says that one of Healthwatch England’s three main priorities for the next year will be “reshaping the organisation, managing a reduced budget and therefore reducing staffing, so that it is lean and fit for purpose through a restructure”.

It adds that the pay budget for 2016-17 has reduced from £2.8m to £1.8m and “the staff team size will reflect this budgetary decrease”.

Another priority will be working more closely with the 152 local Healthwatch groups to help them “be the most effective they can be” and work more closely with the CQC.

Healthwatch England acts as a consumer representative body for health and social care. It does not directly control the local groups, which are commissioned by local authorities.

Last year it warned that almost a third of local authorities are cutting their funding to local groups.

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