18.01.13
Group of experts to strengthen NHS Constitution
The NHS Constitution is to be strengthened by an expert group chaired by care minister Norman Lamb, the DH has announced.
The group will oversee the current consultation and ensure the revised Constitution reflects responses received. They will develop a set of proposals to ensure patients, staff and public are clear what to do when their expectations are not met.
The membership will be based on the previous Future Forum working group on the Constitution, and additional members representing organisations with statutory duties to promote the Constitution and expertise in complaints and redress have been invited to join.
Lamb said: “The NHS Constitution is an incredibly important document, setting out patients’ rights and reinforcing the values of the NHS.
“Yet too few patients are aware of it, too few staff are aware of its contents, and evidence of its use is scarce. We want to change this. This new group brings together powerful minds to look at how we can give the Constitution real teeth. We will make sure that patients are aware of their rights and what to do if their expectations of the NHS are not met.”
The members are:
Mr Norman Lamb MP (Chair) – Minister of State for Care and Support
Dr Charles Alessi – Senior GP Partner, The Churchill Practice
Ms Vicky Bailey – CEO Principle CCG
Ms Anna Bradley – Chair, Healthwatch England
Ms Sally Brearley – Patient Representative and lay member, National Quality Board
Mr Howard Catton – Head of Policy and International, Royal College of Nursing
Mr Shaun Clee – CEO 2gether NHS Foundation Trust
Dr Jocelyn Cornwell – Director, Point of Care Programme, Kings Fund
Ms Jane Cummings – Director of Nursing, NHS North of England SHA Cluster
Dr Vin Diwaker – Medical Director, Birmingham Children’s Hospital
Professor Steve Field – Deputy National Medical Director (Health Inequalities), NHS Commissioning Board
Dr Jennifer Harries – Joint Director of Public Health, NHS Norfolk & Waveney Cluster and Norfolk County Council
Dr Peter Hay – President, Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS)
Ms Brenda Hennessey – Director of Patient Experience & Public Engagement, Cambridge University Hospital NHS Fund Trust
Ms Jo Lenaghan – Director of Policy, National Quality Team
Ms Christina McAnea – Co-chair of Social Partnership Forum; National Secretary for Health, Unison
Dr Vivienne McVey – Commercial Director, Virgin Care
Dr Hamish Meldrum – General Practitioner and former Chairman of the British Medical Association
Dame Julie Mellor – Parliamentary and Health Ombudsman
Sir Keith Pearson – Chair, Health Education England
Mr Ash Soni – Community Pharmacist, and Clinical Network Lead, NHS Lambeth
Mr Jason Stamp – Strategic patient and public involvement and lay member
Mr Jeremy Taylor – Chief Executive, National Voices
Mr Stephen Thornton – Chief Executive, The Health Foundation
Ms Paula Vasco-Knight – Chief Executive, South Devon Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust; Member of Equality and Diversity Councils
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