Healthwatch Shropshire is leading an appeal for public support to halt government proposals that would abolish independent local Healthwatch services, warning that the move risks undermining patient safety and system accountability. End of Independence Threatens TransparencyUnder plans outlined in the NHS 10 Year Health Plan, Healthwatch England and its network of 152 local Healthwatch bodies would be dissolved. Healthwatch Shropshire warns that transitioning these public voice functions away from independent bodies will directly compromise that ambition. “For over 50 years, the public has had access to independent support and advocacy in health and care,” a Healthwatch Shropshire spokesperson stated. Invest in and strengthen independent public voice initiatives.