The Constitution sets out your rights as an NHS patient.
These rights are:
- Access to health services
- Quality of care and environment
- Access to approved treatments, drugs and programmes
- Respect, consent and confidentiality
- Informed choice
- Involvement in your healthcare and the NHS
- Complaint and redress
The NHS constitution also makes a series of pledges to patients, saying what people can expect under each of these areas.
The constitution also sets out what the NHS expects from patients in return to help it work effectively, and ensure resources are used responsibly. This includes:
- recognising that you can make a significant contribution to your own, and your family’s good health and wellbeing, and taking some personal responsibility for it
- registering with a GP practice
- following courses of treatment you’ve agreed to
- always treating NHS staff and other patients with respect
- keeping GP and hospital appointments – or if you have to cancel, doing so in good time
- giving feedback – both positive and negative – about treatment you’ve received.