During the 2025/2026 financial year, Wigan Borough Healthwatch CIC operated as a vital independent pillar for the community across Wigan and Leigh. The company successfully delivered on its statutory and community obligations through two core strategic arms: Healthwatch Wigan and Leigh (the local consumer champion for health and social care) and Wigan Borough Community First (the local infrastructure support network for the voluntary sector). Activities and Deliverables -Health and Social Care Advocacy. Operated the public-facing Healthwatch Wigan and Leigh brand. Collected and synthesised consumer feedback from thousands of local residents regarding their experiences with hospitals, GPs, and adult social care. -Voluntary Sector Infrastructure. Delivered sector-wide support via Wigan Borough Community First. Provided strategic voice, advice, digital CRM coordination, and training to community groups, charities, and social enterprises. -Grant Funding Distribution. Acted as the trusted onward-granting partner for Wigan Locality. Managed the distribution of significant funding allocations such as the GMCA and Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Trailblazer resources to active local Voluntary, Community, Social, and Faith (VCFSE) organisations. -Policy Co-creation. Partnered directly with Wigan Council and the NHS GM Integrated Care system to champion a unique response to local systemic needs, ensuring community insights actively shaped public funding deployment. Community Impact and Outcomes -Elevated Public Voice. Enabled diverse and often marginalised residents across Wigan and Leigh to directly influence local health provision, published in the Healthwatch Wigan and Leigh Annual Report 2025-2026. -Enhanced VCFSE Resilience. Strengthened the financial stability and operational capability of grassroots non-profits through structured capacity building, reducing strategic gaps in local independent leadership. -Targeted Health Interventions. Used gathered insights to address localized health inequalities, feeding directly into borough-wide priorities including creative health lead initiatives, healthy housing strategies, and patient access routes. -Collaborative Efficiency. Streamlined communication channels and resource-sharing across the borough's voluntary landscape, maximizing the collective community benefit achieved per pound of public investment.

Throughout the 2025/2026 financial year, Wigan Borough Healthwatch CIC maintained a continuous schedule of public and stakeholder consultations. These insights directly governed the work programs of both Healthwatch Wigan and Leigh and Wigan Borough Community First. 1. Stakeholder and Public Groups Consulted -Borough Residents and Patients. Actively engaged individuals, patient groups, and service users accessing NHS and adult social care provisions across Wigan and Leigh. -Voluntary Sector Leaders. Consulted with Voluntary, Community, Social, and Faith (VCFSE) organisations, grassroots charities, and local social enterprises. -Strategic Partners. Maintained ongoing consultation with the Healthier Wigan Partnership, Wigan Council, and the NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board. -Marginalised Communities. Target consultations with underserved demographics, including collaborative fieldwork with local organisations to understand healthcare barriers. 2. Methods of Consultation -Public Surveys and Digital Feedback. Distributed borough-wide digital surveys, utilized public comment features on the Healthwatch Wigan and Leigh Website, and leveraged digital outreach channels. -VCFSE Focus Groups & Forums. Organised co-creation workshops, infrastructure forums, and strategy drop-ins via Wigan Borough Community First to map sector gaps. -Community Fieldwork and Interviews. Conducted targeted qualitative interviews within local neighbourhoods to gather verbatim patient journeys. -Public Decision Transparency. Hosted open oversight boards and transparent governance forums, tracking strategic feedback loops via the published Relevant Decision Log. 3. Outcomes and Impact of the Consultations -Informed Future Transition Strategies. Insights directly helped the board navigate the upcoming changes linked to the national NHS 10-year plan, ensuring local public voice remains embedded if statutory health consumer structures shift. -Targeted Grant Allocations. Sector-wide infrastructure consultations directly shaped the distribution criteria for local funding, including the successful onboarding of the Path to Purpose Community Fund. -Systemic Health Adjustments. Provided immediate, verified feedback to local care providers and commissioners to shape localized improvements in patient access, urgent care pathways, and housing-with-care services.

No remuneration was received

No transfer of assets other than for full consideration