Launching Our All-Age Strategy for Greater Manchester
We’re proud to launch the Healthwatch in Greater Manchester All-Age Strategy 2022–2025 which is a shared vision and plan for how we’ll work together across our 10 local Healthwatch teams to amplify voices, influence change, and build a fairer health and care system for everyone.
This strategy reflects our deep commitment to ensuring that every person, regardless of age, background, or where they live, can access the health and care support they need, when they need it.
A collective approach to making care better
Healthwatch in Greater Manchester is a network of 10 independent Healthwatch organisations in Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, and Wigan & Leigh. While each is locally rooted and responsive to its own community, we work together to speak with one powerful voice at system level.
Our strategy outlines six core objectives:
- Build a sustainable and high-performing Healthwatch network.
- Be well-governed and use our resources for greatest impact.
- Amplify the voices of people using health and care services.
- Reach every community and reduce barriers to being heard.
- Act on what we hear to improve policy and practice.
- Share our expertise in engagement across the system and beyond.
Listening, connecting, and influencing
At the heart of this strategy is a simple truth: people’s experiences matter.
Whether it’s helping individuals navigate the health and care system, highlighting overlooked issues, or making sure decision,makers hear directly from communities, we’re here to champion the patient voice and drive better outcomes.
Across Greater Manchester, we’re working with partners in the NHS, local authorities, the VCSE sector, and the newly formed Integrated Care System (ICS) to embed lived experience at every level of decision-making.
Collaboration that drives impact
Our strategy is more than a document: it’s a commitment to action.
Together, we’ve created a model of distributed leadership that values local insight while enabling region wide influence. From developing shared quality standards to coordinating joint research and representation, we are working as one network to tackle the challenges facing our region.
We’re also proud to champion co-production, equity, and transparency in everything we do. Our annual impact reports will be publicly available to demonstrate the progress we’re making.
Why now?
This strategy was developed in the context of wide-reaching changes to health and social care commissioning following the creation of Integrated Care Systems in July 2022. At a time when collaboration and accountability are more important than ever, Healthwatch in Greater Manchester is stepping up to play a leading role in shaping the future.
We will continue to act as a critical friend, working constructively with system leaders while remaining firmly rooted in the experiences of local people.
What Next?
To drive and deliver our strategy over the next three years, we will appoint an Independent Chair and a Chief Coordinating Officer. These roles will ensure we remain focused, and drive leadership and delivery across the network, building strong relationships with our partners, and making sure the voices of local people remain at the heart of system transformation.