The National Health Service Constitution. Part 2

My Yers are bleeding listening to this shite!

NHS Constitutions

Patients and the public – your rights and NHS pledges to you:

Everyone who is entitled to use the NHS should understand what legal rights they have. For this reason, important rights are summarised in this Constitution and explained in more detail in the Handbook to the NHS Constitution, which also explains what you can do if you think you have not received what is rightfully yours. This summary does not alter the content of your legal rights. This Constitution also contains pledges – those things the NHS strives to do above and beyond its legal requirements.


Access to health services:

You have the right to receive NHS services free of charge, apart from certain limited exceptions sanctioned by Parliament.

You have the right to access local NHS services. You will not be refused access on unreasonable grounds. (But if we have closed your local service that’s entirely reasonable)

You have the right to expect your local NHS to assess the health requirements of the local community and to put in place the services to meet those needs as considered necessary.(Still waiting for the punch-line on that joke).

You have the right to seek treatment elsewhere in Europe if you are entitled to NHS treatment but you face undue delay in receiving that treatment. (We won’t get NHS right any more. Actually you may do better in Europe.)

You have the right not to be unlawfully discriminated against in the provision of NHS services including on grounds of gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, disability (including learning disability or mental illness). (No we’ll give an equally bad service to all, with equally dire results)

The NHS will strive to provide convenient, easy access to services within the waiting times set out in the Handbook to the NHS Constitution. (pledge) (but we'll 'hide' convenient services from you if the waiting list hits 12 weeks)

The NHS will strive to make decisions in a clear and transparent way, so that patients and the public can understand how services are planned and delivered. (pledge) (Jesus wept! What fucking planet are we on?)

The NHS will strive to make the transition as smooth as possible when you are referred between services, and to include you in relevant discussions. (pledge) (Actually, we will introduce as many dangerous 'interfaces of care' as possible to increase the probability that bureaucracy or overshite will conspire to bugger things up)

Quality of care and environment:

You have the right to be treated with a professional standard of care, by appropriately qualified and experienced staff, in a properly approved or registered organisation. (unless the they're too busy doing paperwork)

You have the right to expect NHS organisations to monitor, and make efforts to improve the quality of healthcare they provide, taking account of the applicable standards.¹ (expecting and experiencing are subtly different)

The NHS will strive to ensure that services are provided in a clean and safe environment (But you won’t mind some C difficile or MRSA amongst friends will you?) that is fit for purpose, (yes, ever more luxurious meeting suites for those all important meetings) based on national best practice. (pledge)

The NHS will strive for continuous improvement in the quality of services you receive, identifying and sharing best practice in quality of care and treatments. (just as it does at present. Time for the Porcine Aviation Committee to reassemble) (pledge)

Nationally approved treatments, drugs and programmes:

You have the right to drugs and treatments that have been recommended by NICE for use in the NHS, if your doctor says they are clinically appropriate for you. (But if we can persuade him or her to just not mention it even better)

You have the right to expect local decisions on funding of other drugs and treatments to be made rationally following a proper consideration of the evidence. If the local NHS decides not to fund a drug or treatment you and your doctor feel would be right for you, they will explain that decision to you. (but don't expect them to change their minds unless you're in a marginal constituency near an election)

1 The current standards are set out in the Handbook to the NHS Constitution.

2 NICE (the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) is an independent NHS organisation producing guidance on drugs and treatments. ‘Recommended’ means recommended by a NICE technology appraisal. Primary Care Trusts are normally obliged to fund NICE technology appraisals from a date no later than three months from the publication of the appraisal.