Website of the Department of Health

Consultation on core principles for everyone providing care to NHS patients

'The NHS in England: the operating framework for 2007-08’ sets out for consultation a draft set of NHS principles. All NHS and independent sector providers who sign national model NHS contracts with commissioners from April 2007 will be required to have regard to these principles once they are agreed and published.  The relevant contracts will be those covering hospital care.

The draft principles on which we are consulting are:

1. The NHS will provide a universal and comprehensive service with equal access for all, free at the point of use, based on clinical need, not ability to pay.

Healthcare is a basic human right. Unlike private systems, the NHS will not exclude anyone because of their health status or ability to pay. Access to the NHS will continue to depend upon clinical need, not ability to pay. Unless a charge has been specifically sanctioned by the NHS (e.g. for prescriptions or dental treatment), we will not charge a fee or require a co-payment from any NHS patient. We will provide appropriate care for all those referred to us, within our clinical competence.

2. We will help keep people healthy and work to reduce health inequalities.

We will continually seek opportunities to promote health, as well as to treat illness. Recognising that good health also depends upon social, environmental and economic factors such as deprivation, housing, education and nutrition, we will work with other services as appropriate to prevent ill health and reduce health inequalities.

3. We will work continuously to improve quality and safety

We will ensure that services are driven by a cycle of continuous quality improvement. Quality will not just be restricted to the clinical aspects of care, but include the entire patient experience. We will work with our staff, our patients and the public, those commissioning care and the regulators to make the care we provide ever safer and support a culture where we can learn from and effectively reduce mistakes. We will provide information about the outcomes of the treatment we provide, complying with national inspections and regulation.

4. We will strive for the most effective and sustainable use of resources.

We will continuously seek to improve our efficiency, productivity and performance in order to provide the best value for taxpayers’ money, recognising that best care and best value go together. We are committed to the sustainable use of resources and will aim to reduce our use of energy and other natural resources, minimise production of waste and contribute to the sustainable development of the wider community.

5. We will treat every patient with dignity and respect.

We will treat every patient, service user and carer as a valued individual, with respect for their dignity and privacy. Our aim is to give each patient the care and service we would want for ourselves and our families.

6. We will shape our services around the needs and preferences of individual patients, their families and their carers.

As far as possible, we will design our services around the needs of our users and their carers, rather than expecting them to fit around our convenience. Wherever possible, we will offer patients and the public more choice and a greater say in their treatment, and will seek to engage them, individually and jointly, in designing and improving services.

7. We are committed to equality and non-discrimination.

We are committed to equality for patients and service users no matter what their age, gender, disability, sexual orientation, race, language, religion or national, ethnic or social origin. We will seek to provide services that are culturally appropriate to the needs of different communities.

8. We will support and value our staff.

The strength of our organisation lies in our staff, whose skills, expertise and dedication underpin all that we do. They have the right to be treated with respect and dignity. We will continue to support, recognise, reward and invest in individuals, providing opportunities for staff to progress in their careers and encouraging education, training and personal development. Professionals and organisations will have opportunities and responsibilities to exercise their judgement within the context of nationally agreed policies and standards.

9. We will work in partnership with others to ensure a seamless service for patients

We will work in partnership and co-operation with others providing and commissioning NHS and social care services, including in the public, voluntary and private sectors, to ensure a seamlessly co-ordinated, patient-centred service. We will share clinical information with other providers of care to ensure that patients receive a seamless service, wherever they are.

10. We will respect the confidentiality of individual patients and provide open access to information about services, treatment and performance.

We will respect the confidentiality of patients and service users throughout the process of care, including access to their information. Wherever possible, we will provide high quality information and support to patients and the public about services and treatments that are available, and their performance, to improve transparency and accountability.  Where technology can improve patient safety, we will use it. We will publish information about our clinical and operational performance to allow the NHS to assure quality and enable patients to make informed choices.

Further details are given in paragraph 3.19 and Annex C of the operating framework for 2007-08, and in the NHS contracts for 2007-08 and the SLA version for NHS trusts.

• Download NHS in England: the operating framework for 2007-08: Annex C (PDF, 33K)
• The NHS in England: operating framework for 2007-08
• Download Abridged SLA version for NHS trusts (RTF, 457K)