Voices for Health Equity Partnership to lead new phase of CQC’s Public Engagement Network

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has appointed the Voices for Health Equity Partnership to deliver its Public Engagement Network programme for three years, beginning on 1 April 2026.  

Led by National Voices, working alongside Innovation Unit and Collaborate CIC, the Partnership brings together organisations with deep experience of tackling health inequalities and strengthening community voice in health and care.  

The Public Engagement Network currently brings together more than 200 equality-focused charities – both big and small – across England. Through the network, CQC hears directly from organisations working with people who face the greatest inequalities in health and care. These insights help inform how services are assessed and improved.  

From April 2026, the programme will adopt a refreshed and more ambitious approach to how CQC and the Voices for Health Equity Partnership work with Network members. In the coming months, we will collaborate with PEN members to develop a new name that reflects this renewed direction.  

Under the new contract, alongside working to significantly grow the Network, the Partnership will:  

• Introduce a new free learning programme co-designed with members, carefully designed to equip organisations to build capacity and grow their impact. 

• Create clear pathways from insight to impact – bringing CQC staff and Network members together to turn community feedback into practical tests of change and system-wide improvement. 

• Ensure insight gathered by Network members from people experiencing health inequalities informs both CQC’s regulatory work and is also shared back in a format members can use as evidence to strengthen their work on health inequalities. 

The programme will be guided by six design principles: meaningful participation of people and communities; championing accessibility and inclusion; valuing VCSE organisations as equal partners; focusing on impact and action; investing in long-term capacity; and being brave and principled in pursuing equity. Find out more about our vision here.  

At its heart, this next phase of the Network is about shifting the balance of power, and ensuring CQC is better placed not only to listen, but to respond and drive improvement for communities experiencing health inequalities.  

Commenting on the news, Sarah Sweeney, Director of Evidence and Improvement at National Voices said: 

“When people talk about health inequalities, it can sometimes feel as though they are describing something abstract: a disparity in access or a statistic in a report. But when we engage communities who experience health inequalities, it feels much more personal: a loved one lost, a quiet indignity experienced, a fear that compassionate care will not be forthcoming. At National Voices, we want to make sure these voices travel to the heart of the system, shaping how services are delivered, assessed and improved. We are optimistic about how this programme of work with the CQC and the VCSE sector can turn insight into action, evidence into change and ensure care is truly safe, effective and compassionate for everyone.” 

Chris Day, Director of Engagement at CQC said:  

“We know how invaluable it is to hear, and act on, the voices of people who use services. This work underlines our continued commitment to ensuring the lived experience of people impacts on all aspects of our regulatory activity, driving change for people who use services and directly addressing inequalities. I am delighted that we will be working with National Voices and the Voices for Health Equity Partnership for the next three years to drive this work forward.” 

Dawn Plimmer, Interim Chief Executive of Collaborate CIC said: 

“At Collaborate we’re passionate about bringing people, organisations and partnerships together to help achieve more equitable outcomes. The Voices for Health Equity Partnership is an important opportunity to do exactly that – ensuring that people who experience health inequalities and the organisations that support them can have a meaningful influence on the care they receive. We are committed to bringing a strong focus on turning insight into impact, including helping to embed learning from this work at the heart of CQC’s future approach.” 

Christina Cornwell, Senior Associate at Innovation Unit said: 

“Innovation Unit is proud to be partnering with National Voices and Collaborate CIC for this next phase of CQC’s Public Engagement Network. Placing the voices and lived experiences of people affected by health inequalities – and the organisations that support them – at the heart of improvement is essential to building a more equitable health and care system. We look forward to working with Network members to strengthen both their individual and collective capacity to influence and shape meaningful change in how services are delivered.” 

What happens next 

Existing Public Engagement Network members who wish to continue into the new phase should complete the Transfer of Membership form shared by Choice Support to ensure automatic inclusion from 1 April 2026. 

If you’re a VCSE organisation working with people experiencing health inequalities and you’re interested in registering to join the network once it is under our stewardship in April, you can fill out an expression of interest form here.  

Further information on how CQC staff can engage with the new Network will be shared soon.  

For any questions, please reach out to us by emailing info@nationalvoices.org.uk