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| National Voices | |
|---|---|
| Name | National Voices |
| Formation | 2008 |
| Type | Charity and Coalition |
| Headquarters | London |
| Region served | England |
National Voices is a coalition of health and care charities based in London that advocates for person-centered care and represents voluntary sector interests in health policy. It engages with institutions such as the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England, House of Commons, Care Quality Commission, and Health Foundation to influence policy, practice, and commissioning. The coalition brings together organisations ranging from small condition-specific groups to national organisations like Macmillan Cancer Support, Mind, Age UK, British Heart Foundation, and Alzheimer's Society.
National Voices functions as a membership network linking charities, patient groups, and advocacy organisations including Cancer Research UK, Royal College of Nursing, Versus Arthritis, Diabetes UK, and Rethink Mental Illness. It produces guidance, position papers, and narrative resources used by stakeholders such as Clinical Commissioning Groups, Integrated Care Systems, Health and Social Care Select Committee, and policy teams within Department for Work and Pensions. The coalition interacts with regulators and funders like the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, Care Quality Commission, King's Fund, and Nesta.
Founded in 2008 amid shifts in UK health policy and debates involving the Health and Social Care Act 2012 and reforms initiated under Department of Health and Social Care ministers, National Voices consolidated disparate patient and voluntary sector voices including organisations such as Scope (charity), Samaritans, BLF (British Lung Foundation), and Marie Stopes International affiliates. Over time it engaged with sequences of reviews and inquiries including the Francis Report, the Barker Review, and the work of Aldous Huxley-era commentators on welfare reform, while partnering with academic groups at London School of Economics, University College London, and University of Oxford for research collaborations.
The coalition's mission foregrounds person-centered services and draws on frameworks from World Health Organization, Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Kings Fund, Nuffield Trust, and National Audit Office workstreams. Activities include producing policy briefs, co-design toolkits, patient narratives, and standards used by NHS England programmes such as Five Year Forward View and NHS Long Term Plan. It convenes stakeholder roundtables with participants from British Medical Association, Royal College of General Practitioners, Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, and charity partners including Shelter (charity), Turn2us, and Carers Trust.
National Voices is governed by a board drawn from member organisations including representatives from Macmillan Cancer Support, Mind, Age UK, and Alzheimer's Society. Its governance intersects with statutory bodies such as NHS England and advisory panels like Patient Safety Commissioner-style offices and interacts with parliamentary committees such as the Health and Social Care Select Committee. Operational leadership includes an executive director and staff working with consultants from KPMG, PwC, and academic partners at University of Manchester and King's College London.
Membership comprises dozens of charities and tens of condition-specific groups such as Stroke Association, Parkinson's UK, Asthma UK, and YoungMinds. Strategic partnerships extend to think tanks and funders including Health Foundation, Wellcome Trust, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Nuffield Trust, and delivery partners such as Social Care Institute for Excellence and Skills for Care. The organisation also collaborates with service providers and campaigns alongside Citizens Advice, Age Concern, Royal Voluntary Service, and umbrella bodies like National Council for Voluntary Organisations.
Funding sources combine membership fees, grants, and contracts from institutions including Health Foundation, Wellcome Trust, Big Lottery Fund, and government bodies such as NHS England and the Department for Work and Pensions. The coalition has received project funding for initiatives linked to Five Year Forward View and integrated care pilots commissioned by Integrated Care Systems and local authorities like Camden Council and Liverpool City Council. Financial oversight is maintained through audited accounts and reporting standards aligned with Charity Commission for England and Wales guidelines.
National Voices has influenced policy debates on integration, personalised care, and patient experience cited by bodies including NHS England, Care Quality Commission, House of Lords Health and Social Care Committee, and the King's Fund. Its work on narrative-based evidence and co-production has been adopted by programmes linked to NHS Long Term Plan and local Clinical Commissioning Groups. Criticism has arisen from some member groups and commentators in outlets like The Guardian (UK newspaper), The Telegraph, and think tanks including Institute of Economic Affairs and Policy Exchange concerning representativeness, funding transparency, and perceived proximity to statutory bodies. Debates continue involving stakeholders such as British Medical Association, Royal College of Nursing, Healthwatch England, and service-user advocates about influence, accountability, and evidentiary standards.
Category:Health charities based in the United Kingdom