Healthwatch in Greater Manchester is pleased to launch a new Partnership Agreement with NHS Greater Manchester (GM) Integrated Care System (ICS), a shared commitment to championing people’s voices and improving health and care services across the region.
This formal agreement marks a significant step forward in how we work together at a system level, building on years of collaboration, mutual respect, and shared purpose.
The partnership will formally cover the period 2023-2026, and is the first of its kind across all of England.
Why this partnership matters
Our health and care system is evolving. With the creation of Integrated Care Systems, there is a growing recognition that real change must be shaped by people’s experiences, especially those who are too often unheard.
This Partnership Agreement sets out how the 10 independent local Healthwatch in Greater Manchester will work together with GM ICS to:
- Share insight that reflects real people’s experiences
- Provide constructive challenge and scrutiny
- Co-produce engagement approaches
- Help tackle inequalities and improve access for all
Together, we are committed to ensuring that the public voice is not only heard, but acted upon.
Key principles of the agreement
At its heart, this Partnership Agreement is about trust, accountability, and shared values. It outlines:
- Our respective statutory roles and responsibilities
- Expectations for timely feedback, responses to recommendations and collaboration
- A commitment to transparency, integrity, and constructive challenge
- Reinforces our independence as Healthwatch and our role in holding the system to account when needed
- Agreement that Healthwatch is an independent, and trusted critical friend.
What’s next?
To bring this agreement to life, we are appointing a Chief Coordinating Officer and an Independent Chair for the Healthwatch in Greater Manchester Network. These roles will ensure strong leadership, a single point of contact for the system, and effective delivery of our collective priorities over the next three years.
We look forward to working closely with GM ICS to put this partnership into action, and to demonstrate how working together with communities can lead to better care, better decisions, and better outcomes.