The Healthwatch Wigan & Leigh Annual Report 2025 – 2026 highlights a year of change, community engagement, and work to make sure local people’s voices are heard in health and social care services. The report explains that Healthwatch has continued to support residents by listening to their experiences, identifying concerns, and working with organisations to improve services.
A major focus of the year was preparing for changes to the future of Healthwatch. Due to changes linked to the NHS 10-year plan, Healthwatch services may move into new structures involving councils and Integrated Care Boards. To help maintain public involvement, Healthwatch Wigan & Leigh worked with Wigan Borough Community First to develop the Public Involvement Engagement (PIE) Hub, which aims to keep communities involved in research, decision-making, and improving local services.
During the year, Healthwatch engaged with many groups across the community, including carers, veterans, families, and people using health and social care services. Their projects included reviewing home care services, exploring people’s experiences of the Pharmacy First service, and supporting communities to share concerns about healthcare access.
The report shows that Healthwatch had a significant community impact. They engaged with 1,817 people, supported 50 people through signposting and information services, had 26 volunteers, published 2 reports, and received 8,600 website views. Volunteers also contributed 7,346 hours of their time, helping to collect feedback and improve local care.
Key areas of work included the Home Care Project, which gathered feedback from people who use home care services and their families to understand what works well and where improvements are needed. The Pharmacy First Project found that while people who used the service generally valued its convenience, more awareness and clearer information were needed.
Healthwatch also supported individuals with specific problems, such as helping a family access dental care for children who were struggling to find an NHS dentist, and supporting a parent seeking help with ADHD referrals. These examples show how Healthwatch helps people navigate health services and raise concerns.
Overall, the report shows that Healthwatch Wigan & Leigh has continued to act as an independent voice for local people, encouraging better communication between communities and health and social care providers. Despite uncertainty about the future of Healthwatch, the organisation aims to continue supporting public involvement through new approaches such as the PIE Hub.