New Dialogue is the new home of Healthwatch Kingston upon Thames
On 28 November, New Dialogue became the new home of Healthwatch Kingston upon Thames.
Since its creation, our organisation has been registered as the charitable company ‘Healthwatch Kingston upon Thames’, established to deliver the Healthwatch statutory service for the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames.
Following careful consideration of current proposals to transfer the functions of local Healthwatch to local authorities and Integrated Care Boards, the Healthwatch Kingston Board agreed to change the charitable company name to ‘New Dialogue’.
This change relates solely to our organisation’s name. The legal entity remains the same, and there is no change to governance, staff, or the delivery of the Healthwatch statutory service. The Board and staff would like to assure all our stakeholders that this is a change in name only, and that our service delivery will continue as usual. Healthwatch Kingston is still here, open, and working for local people.
The existing Healthwatch Kingston team and Board of Trustees have been delivering the statutory Healthwatch service since 2016. In this time, the organisation has built a wealth of insights and trusted relationships across the borough.
Looking ahead, the Board aims to build on our proven approach to effective engagement and to broaden the organisation’s remit from only health and social care to include all public services.
Over the coming months, New Dialogue will:
- Continue to deliver the Healthwatch Kingston statutory service
- Engage further with partners, stakeholders, and local communities to shape the organisation’s expanded remit
- Explore an expanded programme of work focused on local independent scrutiny, informed by inclusive engagement and insight
- Launch our New Dialogue website and refreshed communications to reflect the organisation’s evolving role.
Throughout this transition period, all of us at New Dialogue remain committed to championing the voices of local people to influence positive change in public services across Kingston.
