“Because the health of the nation is vital to its success and well-being, a Bill will be brought forward to strengthen the National Health Service. The Bill would create a duty to take account of the new National Health Service Constitution that will set out the core principles of the Service and the rights and responsibilities of patients and staff. The Bill would also introduce measures to improve the quality of health care and public health.”
The NHS is one of our most respected and important institutions. As we celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of its foundation, the Government is committed to ensuring the highest possible standards of care and to giving more power to individuals to shape the care they receive.
The purpose of the Bill:
The Bill would improve the quality of NHS care and services and improve public health, and covers the following areas:
· Delivering high quality care for all – the NHS Constitution, direct payments for health services, quality accounts;
· Improving public health - measures to protect children and young people from the harm caused by smoking; and
· Extending the remit of the Local Government Ombudsman to consider complaints from people who have arranged their own adult social care.
The main benefits of the Bill would be:
· To ensure the highest possible standards of care and give more power to individuals to shape the care they receive.
· To reinforce the core purpose and values of the NHS, placing a duty on providers and commissioners of NHS services to have regard to a new NHS Constitution. The Constitution will be published alongside the Bill and will secure the enduring principles of the NHS, setting out the rights and responsibilities of patients and staff.
· To allow the further development of ways to give patients greater personalisation and control over the health care services they receive by involving them directly in the commissioning of health services.
· To drive up the quality of health services through a duty to produce new quality accounts - information on quality for patients, clinicians and managers, which would be used to inform local accountability for services, and to assist clinicians, commissioners and patients in driving improvements.
· To reduce the impact of tobacco on health and well-being in future generations by protecting children and young people from the harm caused by smoking.
· To extend the remit of the Local Government Ombudsman to enable him to consider complaints from people who have arranged their own adult social care. This will place these users on a similar footing to those adults whose social care is arranged and/or funded by Local Authorities.
Related documents:
· Our NHS, Our Future - NHS Next Stage Review Interim Report (October 2007) (Health website, opens in new browser window)
· High Quality Care for All – NHS Next Stage Review Final report (July 2008) (Health website, opens in new browser window)
· A Consultation on the NHS Constitution (July 2008 – closed 17 October 2008) (Health website, opens in new browser window)
· Consultation on the future of tobacco control (May 2008 – closed 8 September 2008) (Health website, opens in new browser window)
Devolution:
· Much of the Bill applies only to England, such as the provisions on the NHS Constitution, direct payments and quality accounts. Other provisions may apply more widely.¼/p>
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