Healthwatch North Yorkshire

What Healthwatch North Yorkshire does

Healthwatch North Yorkshire is a registered charity (Charity number: 1171152) founded in 2013, operating as the statutory local Healthwatch for North Yorkshire within the national Healthwatch network. The organization functions as an independent champion for people who use health and social care services across North Yorkshire's 615,000+ residents, collecting public feedback on GPs, hospitals, dentists, pharmacies, and care homes, and publishing reports that influence NHS decision-makers, local authorities, and the Care Quality Commission. Its core products are a public feedback collection service, evidence-based published reports and research (22 published in 2023/2024, the highest annual output to date), plain-language advice and information articles, community engagement and volunteer programmes, and authorised Enter and View visits to health and social care facilities. The underlying technology stack is modest: a Drupal-based CMS website, Smart Survey for survey processing, Microsoft Teams for virtual collaboration, Google Analytics for web analytics, and social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X) for outreach, with no proprietary AI or ML components. The business model is non-commercial: the organization is funded through statutory grants from North Yorkshire Council and the Humber & North Yorkshire Health & Care Partnership as part of the national Healthwatch network, and all services are provided free of charge to the public. Distribution is primarily community-led, with physical presence at livestock markets, agricultural shows, community events, and healthcare settings, supplemented by digital channels that together reached over 152,800 people on Facebook and recorded 35,000+ web page views in 2023/2024.

Name

Healthwatch North Yorkshire

Legal name

Healthwatch North Yorkshire

Website

https://healthwatchnorthyorkshire.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Healthwatch North Yorkshire is a registered charity and statutory local Healthwatch that collects public feedback on health and social care services across North Yorkshire, publishes evidence-based reports, and engages communities to influence NHS and local authority decision-makers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Healthcare Advocacy and Patient Engagement Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Patient Advocacy, Navigation & Access to Care (BPAGACAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Health Communications, Risk Communication & Community Engagement (HLAJAMAH), Public Health Reporting, Dashboards & KPI Performance Management (HLAJANAO), Health Data, Vital Statistics & Population Health Informatics (BPAIAJAM)

Keywords

• Healthcare advocacy services
• Patient feedback collection
• Public health monitoring
• Community health engagement
• Health social care

Headquarters

HQ city

Harrogate

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Charitable funding and grants: Healthwatch North Yorkshire operates as a registered charity (Charity number: 1171152) funded through statutory arrangements as part of the national Healthwatch network. The organization does not generate commercial revenue but receives funding to carry out its role as the independent champion for people who use health and social care services. Revenue is used to cover operational costs including staff, volunteer programs, community engagement activities, and publication of reports.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Healthwatch North Yorkshire collects and aggregates public experiences and feedback about local health and social care services (GPs, hospitals, dentists, pharmacies, care homes) through surveys, web forms, phone, and in-person events. It publishes evidence-based research reports analyzing healthcare access and quality across North Yorkshire, produces plain-language advice and information articles to help the public navigate services, runs community engagement and volunteer programmes, and conducts authorized Enter and View observation visits to health and social care facilities to influence commissioners, NHS leaders, and the CQC.

Product overview

Healthwatch North Yorkshire operates as an independent healthcare champion organization offering a portfolio of public engagement and information services rather than a unified software product. Its core offerings include a public feedback collection service enabling residents to share experiences of NHS and social care services, published research reports analyzing healthcare access and quality across North Yorkshire, plain-language advice and information articles helping people navigate services such as GPs, pharmacies, dentists, and hospitals, community engagement and volunteer programs for public involvement, and authorized Enter and View observation visits to health and social care facilities. These services function as interconnected components of a community advocacy mission, collectively enabling the organization to gather public sentiment, produce evidence-based recommendations, and influence healthcare decision-makers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Public Feedback Collection Service A service that collects and aggregates public experiences and feedback about local health and social care services, enabling people to share their views through surveys, web forms, phone, and in-person events. Designed for the general public, patients, carers, and family members across North Yorkshire.
• Published Reports and Research Evidence-based reports on healthcare access, quality, and patient experiences in North Yorkshire, including thematic studies on topics such as rural healthcare barriers, maternal postnatal care, and farming community health. Targeted at NHS commissioners, the CQC, local authorities, and the public.
• Advice and Information Articles Plain-language educational content helping the public navigate health and social care services, including guidance on GP access, prescriptions, pharmacy services, dental care, and hospital appointments. Intended for general public use across North Yorkshire.
• Community Engagement and Volunteer Programs Programmes enabling public involvement through volunteering, event participation, and community outreach to gather diverse voices representing the North Yorkshire population. Aimed at members of the public who want to contribute to healthcare advocacy.
• Enter and View Visits Authorized visits to health and social care facilities to observe services and speak with patients, staff, and carers to assess care quality and identify improvements. Targeted at NHS and social care providers, the CQC, and the public.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,626 people spoke with Healthwatch and 2,468 gave feedback in 2023/2024
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Healthwatch EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational parent organization that Healthwatch North Yorkshire shares information with to influence national work. Healthwatch England uses anonymized data to assess quality of care across the country and influence service provision.
• Care Quality Commission (CQC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthwatch North Yorkshire shares information with CQC to help with inspections and regulatory oversight. Information may be disclosed where necessary to protect vulnerable persons from abuse or harm.
• North Yorkshire CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal authority partner that receives information from Healthwatch to help deliver services that work for everyone. Collaboration on rural health needs assessment and health inequalities work.
• Humber & North Yorkshire Health & Care PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICS partnership that works with Healthwatch to ensure health and social care leaders are aware of people's experiences and can make a difference to care.
• Community Pharmacy North YorkshiresecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal representative body for community pharmacy contractors. Collaborated with Healthwatch to create articles about dispensing doctors and prescriptions.
• Smart SurveysecondaryTechnology or IntegrationThird-party supplier used to process survey data on behalf of Healthwatch North Yorkshire. Must follow data protection requirements under a Data Processing Agreement.
• Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFarming charity providing mental health awareness training that Healthwatch North Yorkshire promotes. Partner in supporting farmers' mental health across the county.
• The Farming Community NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity providing practical help and emotional support from farming people. Partner in delivering Cancer Champions training and mental health support initiatives.
• Central Dales GP PracticesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplemented flexible healthcare access for farming communities based on Healthwatch feedback, including walk-in options, evening appointments, and medication deliveries.
• Community First YorkshiresecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity supporting charities, social enterprises, and rural communities. Partner in rural health summits and addressing rural health inequalities.
• Coast and Vale Community ActionsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization recruiting community connector volunteers to listen to young people's views on healthcare.
• National Centre for Rural Health and CaresecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization focused on rural health research and improvement. Speaker at rural health summits.
• North Riding Primary Care NetworksecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerGroup of local GP practices developing Rural Health Team and attending livestock markets to offer health advice and checks.
• Harrogate and District NHS Foundation TrustsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal NHS trust providing hospital and community care. Quoted as partner recognizing value of Healthwatch work in identifying areas for improvement.
• South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerNHS trust working with Healthwatch on placing nursing roles within auction marts. Friarage Hospital agreed in principle to host these roles.
• Humber and North Yorkshire Cancer AlliancesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerUsing insights from farming health work to inform cancer awareness and screening projects in rural communities. Developing tailored Cancer Champions training.
• National Farmers UnionsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiscussions underway regarding sponsorship of nursing posts in livestock markets and rural health initiatives.
• Country Land and Business AssociationsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgricultural organization involved in discussions about funding nursing posts in livestock markets.
• NHS Hospital TrustscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNHS trusts across North Yorkshire receive public feedback and work with Healthwatch to improve patient experiences.
• Various GP Practices across North YorkshirecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGP practices receiving feedback and implementing changes based on public experiences, including farmer walk-in clinics and improved rural access.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Healthwatch England: The national umbrella body for the local Healthwatch network; the direct statutory parent of Healthwatch North Yorkshire. Operates as a broader policy and standards body rather than engaging the public directly at a local level.
• Citizens Advice: National charity providing independent advice and advocacy across consumer, legal, and health/social-care issues. Overlaps with Healthwatch in public-facing advice, complaint navigation, and representation for vulnerable consumers.
• Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS): NHS-internal patient support service that helps patients navigate complaints and concerns. Adjacent role to Healthwatch but operates as part of the NHS rather than as an independent champion.

Emerging players

• Age UK: National charity focused on older people's needs including healthcare access, advice, and advocacy. Highly relevant given North Yorkshire's 32% over-65 population and Healthwatch's focus on elderly healthcare access.
• National Centre for Rural Health and Care: National organization focused on rural health research and improvement that Healthwatch North Yorkshire has partnered with at rural health summits. Overlaps on rural healthcare access advocacy and evidence gathering.

Direct peers

• Healthwatch Lancashire: Local Healthwatch serving a similarly large, predominantly rural county. Closest peer on rural-geography, demographic-mix, and engagement-model dimensions.
• Healthwatch York: Neighboring local Healthwatch also covering the North Yorkshire/Yorkshire region. Same statutory mandate, similar operating model, comparable scale and headcount.
• Healthwatch Bradford: Another local Healthwatch in the Yorkshire region. Directly comparable in scope (community feedback, advocacy, reports) and statutory role.
• Healthwatch Leeds: Sister local Healthwatch serving a similar urban-rural mixed population in West Yorkshire. Directly comparable in statutory remit, charity structure, and service portfolio (feedback, reports, enter-and-view).
• Healthwatch Cumbria: Local Healthwatch covering another sparsely populated northern English county with significant rural-health-access challenges. Highly comparable on geographic and demographic dimensions.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HealthwatchNY
• Facebookfacebook.com/HealthwatchNorthYorkshire
• Instagraminstagram.com/healthwatchny
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/healthwatch-north-yorkshire

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Healthwatch North Yorkshire