Healthwatch Darlington Annual Report 2025–2026
We are pleased to share the Healthwatch Darlington Annual Report 2025–2026, which reflects the dedication, resilience and achievements of our small but committed team over the past year, despite significant changes to government plans and the future of the Healthwatch England network.
This year's report is titled "Speaking Up for Better Care", and that continues to reflect our purpose: ensuring local people's voices are heard and used to improve health and social care services.
This year's report is titled "Speaking Up for Better Care", and that continues to reflect our purpose: ensuring local people's voices are heard and used to improve health and social care services.
Although we started the year as a team of five and, midway through the year, reduced to just three colleagues (2 of which are part-time), we have continued to deliver meaningful outcomes for the people of Darlington. Together, we established and continue to lead the Darlington Mental Health Network, contributed to a wide range of collaborative projects, and helped shape local health and care services by ensuring the voices and experiences of local people remain at the heart of service design and improvement.
Reaching out
Over the past year:
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632 people shared their experiences of health and social care services with us, helping to highlight issues and drive improvements.
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30 people contacted us directly for advice, support or help accessing services.
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Our website was accessed by approximately 15,000 people, demonstrating the growing number of residents using our online information and guidance.
Together, these figures show how people are engaging with us through both direct support and digital channels to access advice and information on topics such as booking appointments and navigating health and care services.
Championing your voice
During 2025–2026, Healthwatch Darlington worked alongside 13 other Healthwatch organisations across the North East and North Cumbria to produce three collaborative insight reports focusing on GP access, dentistry and mental health.
The experiences shared by Darlington residents formed an important part of this evidence, helping to influence system priorities, including neighbourhood health, and demonstrating the positive impact that collaboration can have in driving meaningful change.
Like many across the Healthwatch network, we were disappointed by the Government's decision to close Healthwatch England and transfer the responsibilities of local Healthwatch organisations to Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) and local authorities. While the full implications of these proposals will not be clear until further details are published within the NHS 10-Year Plan, we remain committed to representing the views and experiences of patients and the public throughout this period of change.
We will continue to champion the involvement of patients, service users and carers in health and care decision-making. We firmly believe that services are improved when local people have access to a strong, independent voice through which they can share their experiences and influence change.
Until new arrangements are confirmed, we remain fully committed to delivering our Healthwatch contract and associated work to the highest standard. Throughout 2026–2027, we will continue to deliver our work programme, strengthen partnerships with local organisations and service providers, and collaborate with our Healthwatch colleagues across the North East and North Cumbria.
We will keep you updated as more information becomes available about the future arrangements.
In the meantime, we would like to sincerely thank all of our partners, colleagues and supporters. Whether you have worked with us to influence strategic change, promote inclusion or engage with local communities, your support has been invaluable.
We look forward to continuing to work together to amplify local voices, improve services and contribute to a healthier Darlington.
Downloads
Annual Report 2025-2026
