The NHS Constitution sets out what patients and staff can expect.

The principles and values of the NHS have been enshrined in a new document, and the government wants your views.

The draft NHS Constitution was launched on 30 June by the Secretary of State for Health, Alan Johnson.

The constitution is the first of its kind in the world and brings together the rights and responsibilities for staff and patients.

Alan Johnson said:"This is a momentous point in the history of the NHS. As we approach the 60th anniversary of our health service, it is striking how its founding principles still endure and have resonance for staff, patients and public alike.

"The content of the Constitution was not dreamt up by me or civil servants in Whitehall. It is something that has arisen out of discussions with thousands of NHS staff and patients across the country.

"What we have come up with is not set in stone but is a good basis for further consultation. I think it strikes the right balance between the need for clarity and avoiding undue litigation, between the need to state what is enduring while ensuring the NHS has the flexibility to change and keep pace with rising expectations and medical advances.

"As the draft Constitution states at the outset, the NHS belongs to the people. I would therefore urge everyone with an interest in preserving what's best about the NHS, as well as ensuring that it is fit for the future, to participate in the consultation and tell us what they think."

To download and have your say on the draft constitution, click here.

On Thursday 3 July, the UK's four health ministers reaffirmed their commitment to the core principles on which the NHS was founded.

Their Statement of Common Principles affirms that:

• The NHS provides a comprehensive service, available to all;
• Access to its services is based on clinical need not an individual's ability to pay;
• The NHS aspires to high standards of excellence and professionalism;
• NHS services must reflect the needs and preferences of patients, their families and their carers;
• The NHS works across organisational boundaries with other organisations in the interests of patients, communities and the wider population;
• The NHS is committed to providing the best value for taxpayers' money, making the most effective and fair use of finite resources;
• The NHS is accountable to the public, communities and patients that it serves.

Posted: 03/07/2008