EPPING FOREST: Views sought on NHS
1:31pm Wednesday 27th August 2008
LOCAL people are being urged to have their say on plans for a Constitution for the NHS.
The proposed Constitution will record in one place what the NHS in England does, what it stands for and should live up to. It will also state how decisions affecting the NHS should be made.
The NHS Constitution is the first of its kind in the world and comes as a result of extensive discussions with staff, patients and the public as part of the Darzi review. It declares the Government’s commitment to the NHS being a service for everyone, funded by taxes and based on clinical need and not an individual’s ability to pay.
It recognises the future of the NHS is too important to be left to chance.
The Government will be obliged by law to renew the NHS Constitution every ten years. This means any changes made will be as a result of a full and transparent debate.
The Constitution means local people will have important rights around access to drugs and treatments, health services, information, quality of care and environment, dignity and respect, and complaint and redress.
West Essex Primary Care Trust chairman Alan Tobias said: “The NHS Constitution explains your rights as patients to make choices about your healthcare. It also sets out principles on how all parts of the NHS should act and make decisions. It describes what we can all do to make better use of the NHS.
“This is your opportunity to make comments about how we provide health services in the future.”
The NHS was created 60 years ago and in that time has changed radically and for the better.
Health Secretary Alan Johnson said: “The content of the Constitution was not dreamt up by me or civil servants in Whitehall. It is something that has arisen out of discussions with thousands of NHS staff, patients and the public across the country.
“The NHS belongs to the people. I would urge everyone to take part in this consultation to ensure that the NHS is fit for the future.”
The consultation on the draft NHS Constitution is being run by the Department of Health and lasts until October 17.
For further information about the consultation visit the Department of Health website at www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Liveconsultations/DH_085812 People can email responses to nhsconstitution@dh.gsi.gov.uk or post to NHS Constitution, Room 611a Richmond House, 70 Whitehall, London. SW1A 2NS.
Local people can also voice their views on the NHS East of England’s blog at www.eoe.nhs.uk/constitution