Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support engagement with people who are less likely to engage with health services directly, including groups experiencing health inequalities, under the proposed arrangements for local engagement and feedback following the abolition of local Healthwatch.

The Patient Experience Directorate in the Department of Health and Social Care will focus on groups less likely to engage with health and care services. Statutory guidance published by the Department will make it clear that integrated care boards and local authorities should ensure that the steps they take to involve local people include those experiencing health inequalities, those who do not have access to digital platforms, those who are less proficient with technology, and people for whom English is a second language. This will ensure that services provided will benefit all people covered by the integrated care board and local authority area.