06.11.12
NHS Constitution to be ‘strengthened’
Proposed changes to the NHS Constitution were released for public consultation yesterday.
The projected changes include the introduction of a new responsibility for staff to treat patients with the utmost care, compassion and respect, a pledge to clarify that patients can expect to sleep in same-sex wards, and another pledge that NHS staff must be honest about any mistakes. The final pledge comprises the ‘duty of candour’, which will become a condition in the NHS Standard Contract from April 2013.
These changes will also seek to make clear that patients, their families and carers should be fully involved in all discussions and decisions about their care and treatment, including their end-of-life care. Equally, the plans will stress the fact that patients who are abusive or violent to NHS staff could be refused treatment and that the NHS continues to be uniformly concerned about physical and mental health.
Health minister Norman Lamb said: “The NHS is one of this country’s greatest achievements. This Government will always make sure it is free to all, no matter your age or the size of your bank balance. That’s why at the same time as we are protecting its budget, we are strengthening this Constitution, which enshrines the right of everyone to have first class care, now and in the future.”
Nonetheless, the chief executive of the NHS Confederation, Mike Farrar, has emphasised the necessity to use the constitution effectively. He stated that the proposed changes “rightly acknowledge the importance of full transparency when people’s care is not up to the highest standards”, but added that the constitution cannot complete alter the NHS’ attitudes towards dignity and person-centred care on its own.
He said: “We have to work with patients to shape services around their needs. We need to listen to patients and their families and carers to learn from their experiences and improve the services and care we provide.”
The closing date for comments is 28 January 2013. The responses to the consultation will feed into a revised version of the NHS Constitution, which will be published by April 2013.
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