KATE WOODHEAD RGN DMS provides an insight into the latest revisions to the NHS Constitution and highlights the need to raise awareness of its strengths.
It may well be that the NHS Constitution is not felt to be an important aspect of care delivery, by healthcare professionals. However, they should reflect on the nature of many of the inclusions in the Constitution and know that Health Education England has a renewed emphasis (by law, the Health Act 2014) and a duty to ensure that they promote the NHS Constitution. They might also reflect that the values and principles outlined and given detail, in the accompanying Handbook, include a significant number of legally binding statements, tied into professional regulation and duties inherent in working for a public service.
The Constitution and the concept behind it were developed during 2009 by Lord Ara Darzi, when he was consulting on ideas to improve quality in the NHS. He held many focus groups across England with a variety of groups and individuals – professionals and patients, as well as other interested parties. The first Constitution was published and extensively promoted during 2011, and applies only to health services in England.
The Francis Report cited a catalogue of appalling failures of the National Health Service which made many references throughout to cultural failures and the core element of all patient care – that of putting the patient at the centre of what we do. The fact that the Mid Staffordshire Hospital Trust and its staff failed so miserably indicates that we should refocus on the values and principles highlighted in the NHS Constitution.
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