The Health Bill passed its second reading in the House of Commons on 1 June 2026. The Public Bill Committee held its first oral evidence sessions on 16 June 2026 and began line-by-line scrutiny the same day, with the Committee expected to report by 5pm on 16 July 2026. The Bill remains controversial: the Health Foundation, the King’s Fund and the Local Government Association have all submitted briefings raising concerns about over-centralisation of power in the Secretary of State, the abolition of Healthwatch, and the loss of guaranteed local authority involvement in ICB decision-making.1
References1. Health Bill: call for evidence. UK Parliament. 16 June 2026. https://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2026/june-2026/health-bill-call-for-evidence/
