皇冠体育app

皇冠体育app NHS Constitution sets out in one place what patients can expect from the NHS, including rights:

• 聽to be treated with respect and humanity;
• 聽to have access to NICE-approved drugs;
• 聽to make choices about their NHS care.

皇冠体育app Government will publish a review in the summer that looks at the impact the Constitution has made for patients and staff, and has asked Professor Steve Field, leader of the NHS Future Forum - a group of the country鈥檚 top health experts - to bring together a special working group to provide expert advice.

Andrew Lansley has also asked the new Future Forum group to advise him whether there is any scope for strengthening the NHS Constitution to support high quality services for patients. Together with new duties included in the Health and Social Care Bill, this will strengthen both the contents of the NHS Constitution and the role it plays in the NHS. A public consultation later this year will give patients and staff the opportunity to have their say about what can be done to improve and reinforce the Constitution.

皇冠体育app new expert working group of the NHS Future Forum is made up of medical professionals, patient champions, staff representatives and charities. At its first meeting today it began to consider what effect the NHS Constitution has had since it was launched in 2009.

One example of how the Constitution is being strengthened now is a new commitment to support whistleblowing and tackle poor patient care. 皇冠体育app Government has today published additional duties to the Constitution for NHS staff to raise concerns at the earliest opportunity, be supported by managers and have claims fully investigated.**

Andrew Lansley said:

鈥淚 believe in the NHS Constitution, which enshrines the principles which will always hold true for the NHS. This isn鈥檛 about starting from scratch - this is about revitalising these rights and pledges. Patients are at the centre of our reforms, and with the help of the independent panel we will look to strengthen the NHS Constitution to make sure it is working for the benefit of patients and staff.

鈥淭oday we have made it easier for staff to raise concerns about poor patient care. Whistleblowing will play an important part in creating a culture of patient safety, and this is why it has been added to the NHS Constitution.鈥�

Steve Field, the independent working group chair, said:

鈥淭hroughout the work of the Future Forum, we have consistently said the NHS Constitution should be embedded into how the NHS works, and so I am pleased that we have been asked to contribute to this review. 皇冠体育app experience and - crucially - the independence of the group will ensure a thoroughly professional and balanced insight into what effect the NHS Constitution has made and how it can be improved.鈥�

NOTES TO EDITORS

1.聽聽 聽皇冠体育app independent NHS Future Forum was created to listen to the views of key stakeholders around the country and report back. Having consulted extensively, the Forum published its initial report in June 2011. 皇冠体育app Government accepted the Forum鈥檚 key recommendations and made substantial changes to the Health and Social Care Bill to carry these forward.

2.聽聽 聽皇冠体育app new working group of the NHS Future Forum is made up from a mixture of original Future Forum members, ex-members of the Constitutional Forum under the previous administration and others who were invited because of their expertise and insights so that the group reflects a broad range of perspectives.

3.聽聽 聽皇冠体育app Health Act 2009 requires the Secretary of State to publish a report 鈥渙n how the NHS Constitution has affected patients, staff, carers and members of the public鈥� every three years. 皇冠体育app first report must be published by 5 July 2012.

4.聽聽 聽Both the group and the Government will engage with key NHS professionals and patient organisations in considering the potential for changes, before a full public consultation in autumn 2012. Any amendments to the NHS Constitution would then come into effect by April 2013.

5.聽聽 聽皇冠体育app Health Act 2009 places a duty on various NHS bodies to have regard to the NHS Constitution. 皇冠体育app Health and Social Care Bill applies this duty to the new bodies set up by the Bill as well as local authorities鈥� public health functions. 皇冠体育app Bill also introduces new duties on the NHS Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups to promote the Constitution and on the Secretary of State to have regard to it.

6.聽聽 聽皇冠体育app new whistleblowing helpline number is 08000 724 725. Provided by the Royal Mencap Society, the service operates weekdays between 08.00-18.00, and an out of hours answering service is available weekends and public holidays.

7.聽聽 聽A similar web-based whistleblowing service is also being developed, with further details to be announced in due course.

8.聽聽 聽皇冠体育app Department of Health ran a full public consultation on a set of proposals for changes to the NHS Constitution in respect of whistleblowing and published the Government鈥檚 response to that consultation, on 18 October 2011, setting out a commitment to making the changes in early 2012.

9.聽聽 聽Changes to the NHS Constitution on whistleblowing:

• an** expectation** that staff should raise concerns at the earliest opportunity;
• a pledge that NHS organisations should support staff when raising concerns by ensuring their concerns are fully investigated and that there is someone independent, outside of their team, to speak to; and
• clarity around the existing legal right for staff to raise concerns about safety, malpractice or other wrong doing without suffering any detriment.

10.聽聽 聽To see the most up to date version of the Constitution visit the DH website.

11.聽聽 聽For further information, contact the Department of Health Press Office on 020 7210 5221.

12.聽聽 聽皇冠体育app members of the independent group are:

Professor Steve Field - Chair, NHS Future Forum

Dr Charles Alessi - Senior GP Partner of 皇冠体育app Churchill Practice; Chair of the National Association of Primary Care

Vicky Bailey - CEO Principia CCG

Sally Brearley -聽 Patient Representative聽 and lay member, National Quality Board

Howard Catton - Head of Policy and International, Royal College of Nursing

Professor Mike Cooke CBE - Chief Executive, Nottinghamshire Health Care NHS Trust

Jocelyn Cornwell - Director, Point of Care Programme, Kings Fund

Jane Cummings - Director of Nursing, NHS North of England SHA Cluster

Ciaran Devane - CEO Macmillan Cancer Support

Vin Diwaker - Medical Director of Birmingham Children鈥檚 Hospital

Dr Jennifer Harries聽- Joint Director of Public Health,
NHS Norfolk & Waveney Cluster and Norfolk County Council

Peter Hay - President, Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS)

Jo Lenaghan - Director of Policy, National Quality Team

Christina McAnea - Co-chair of Social Partnership Forum; National Secretary for Health, Unison

Vivienne McVey聽- Commercial Director, Virgin Care

Dr Jennifer Harries -聽 Joint Director of Public Health, NHS Norfolk & Waveney Cluster and Norfolk County Council

Peter Hay - President, Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS)

Jo Lenaghan -聽 Director of Policy, National Quality Team

Christina McAnea - Co-chair of Social Partnership Forum; National Secretary for Health, Unison

Vivienne McVey - Commercial Director, Virgin Care

Dr Hamish Meldrum - Chairman, British Medical Association

Sir Keith Pearson - Chair of NHS Confederation

Ash Soni - Community pharmacist, and Clinical Network Lead, NHS Lambeth

Jason Stamp - Strategic patient and public involvement and current Chair of Hull LINk

Jeremy Taylor - Chief Executive, National Voices

Stephen Thornton - Chief Executive, 皇冠体育app Health Foundation

Paula Vasco-Knight - Chief Executive, South Devon Healthcare Foundation NHS Trust; Member of Equality and Diversity Councils