Have your say on patient rights within the NHS

The NHS Constitution brings together your rights using NHS services as a patient. As well as their values principles and pledges. The constitution empowers patients, staff and the public to know their rights and exercise them in order to progress towards improved healthcare across the NHS. 

The Health Act 2009 requires that every 10 years a review must be carried out and as a result they are seeking feedback from patients, carers, staff and the general public on the proposals set out.

Some of the proposed changes to the NHS Constitution

Responding to deterioration

“The NHS pledges to provide patients (and their families, carers and advocates) who are in acute or specialist provider sites a structured approach to providing information about their or their loved one’s condition at least daily and if they have concerns about physiological deterioration that are not being responded to, access to a rapid review by appropriate clinicians from outside their immediate care team.”

Environmental responsibilities

They are proposing to add a new ‘Environmental responsibilities’ value as a result of being a major contributor to the UK’s carbon footprint.

Patient responsibilities

They propose making the patients responsibility to keep appointments or cancel within a reasonable time clearer, as well as strengthening the responsibility on the NHS to clearly communicate appointment information.