Healthwatch Wirral Annual Report 2025/26

12 July 2026

Over the past year, Healthwatch Wirral has listened to thousands of local people, supported individuals to navigate health and care services, carried out independent research, and worked with partners to improve services across Wirral. This report highlights the issues people are experiencing and the difference that local voices have made in shaping health and social care.

Find the full Healthwatch Wirral Annual Report at the bottom of this page.

Our Year in Numbers

A snapshot of our work during 2025/26, including public engagement, reports published, volunteer contributions, and support provided to local people across Wirral. 

• 10,400+ experiences shared
• 24,100+ contacts and interactions
• 9 reports published
• 1,231 volunteer hours
• 71 people supported with NHS complaints

What People Told Us

Thousands of people shared their experiences with us this year. Many spoke positively about the caring and compassionate staff at the heart of health and social care in Wirral, but some issues remained consistent. People reported difficulties accessing GP appointments and NHS dentists, long waits for treatment, poor and inconsistent communication about the care they receive, and mixed experiences of using digital systems.

We used this evidence to challenge providers about improving services and influence decision-makers to make sure that people’s experiences drove service improvement. 

Turning Feedback into Change

This year, we delivered many major projects to research evidence for unheard communities and provide vital services for people in Wirral. These projects focused on unpaid Carers, Primary Care access, NHS App usage and digital inclusion, musculoskeletal self-referral pathways, dentistry, and women’s services.

This work highlighted the need for better support for unpaid Carers, improved access and communication from Primary Care, and continued commitments for non-digital routes into healthcare. The findings and recommendations from our work was shared with commissioners and providers across Wirral to inform future decisions and address gaps in services.

Delivering Real Impact

Alongside our engagement work, we continued to help local people navigate an increasingly complex health and care system. Our NHS independent complaints advocacy service supported 71 people this year.

Across 12 months, our Way Forward project worked intensively with people who frequently attended urgent and emergency care. Among those we worked with, A&E attendances reduced by 52.7% and unplanned hospital admissions fell by 52.9%, demonstrating the value of personalised support that addresses both health needs and wider life circumstances.

We also provided 1:1, independent, accessible support to people using Day Services and Wirral Evolutions services, helping them share their views on future service planning.

Listening for the Future

We’d also love to hear about your experiences of local health and care services. Share your feedback through our Feedback Centre and help shape future improvements.