Patients' Charter

The Patient's Charter, first published October 1991, aimed to improve the quality of health service delivery to patients. The Charter set out patients' rights in the NHS and the standards of service they can expect to receive in areas addressing, among others, waiting times; information about services and treatment; and privacy and dignity of the patient.

The Patient's Charter was abolished as part of changes to the NHS implemented in the year 2000 under the 10-year "NHS plan".  However the general principles of the charter still apply.  These are detailed below and cover the following themes:

Access to services

You have the right to:

• receive health care on the basis of your clinical need, not on your ability to pay, your lifestyle or any other factor;
• be registered with a GP and be able to change your GP easily and quickly if you want to;
• get emergency medical treatment at any time through your GP, the emergency ambulance service and hospital accident and emergency departments; and
• be referred to a consultant acceptable to you, when your GP thinks it is necessary, and to be referred for a second opinion if you and your GP agree this is desirable;
• you can expect the NHS to make it easy for everyone to use its services, including children, elderly people or people with physical or mental disabilities;
• if your child needs to be admitted to hospital, you can expect them to be cared for in a children's ward under the supervision of a consultant paediatrician. Exceptionally, when a child has to be admitted to a ward other than a children's ward, you can expect a named consultant paediatrician to be responsible for advising on his/her care;
• personal consideration and respect;
• you have the right to choose whether or not you want to take part in medical research or medical student training;
• you can expect all the staff you meet face to face to wear name badges;
• you can expect the NHS to respect your privacy, dignity and religious and cultural beliefs at all times and in all places. For example, meals should suit your dietary and religious needs. Staff should ask you whether you want to be called by your first or last name and respect your preference.

Providing information

You have the right to:

• have any proposed treatment, including any risks involved in that treatment and any alternatives, clearly explained to you before you decide whether to agree to it;
• have access to your health records, and to know that everyone working for the NHS is under a legal duty to keep your records confidential;
• have any complaint about NHS services (whoever provides them) investigated and to get a quick, full written reply from the relevant chief executive or general manager;
• receive detailed information on local health services. This includes information on the standards of service you can expect, waiting times and on local GP services.

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