All UK Health Ministers Affirm Commitment To Core Principles Of NHS

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 04 Jul 2008 - 0:00 PDT

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All four UK Health Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to the core principles on which the NHS was founded, by issuing a Statement of Common Principles.

Today's Statement affirms that the NHS belongs to all the people of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

While health is a devolved responsibility under the constitutional arrangements, the core principles on which the NHS operates across the UK are enduring and the 60th anniversary of the NHS provides an opportunity to restate our commitment to them. They affirm 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.

Secretary of State for Health, Alan Johnson, said:

"The NHS belongs to everyone in the UK - to the people of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Today the NHS sees or treats a million people every 36 hours, eight out of ten people see their GP every year and a million more operations are performed than just ten years ago.

"It is there to improve our health, supporting us when we are ill and when we cannot fully recover, to look after us and make us as comfortable as possible. It is committed to tackling health inequalities, providing services to meet patient need and providing the highest quality clinical and parochial care.

"In this 60th anniversary week, it is fitting that all four administrations in the UK restate their commitment to the core founding principles of the NHS which still endure today."

Nicola Sturgeon, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, Scottish Government, said:

"In this, the 60th anniversary year of the NHS, it is absolutely essential that we remember and celebrate the founding principles that remain at its core.

"Devolution has brought different approaches to the NHS in the four nations that make up the United Kingdom and this is resulting in an unquestionable divergence between our health systems.

"Nevertheless, this statement on our shared principles highlights a resolve to ensure that the NHS remains free at the point of delivery and continues to strive for the highest possible standards in clinical excellence and patient care.

"I welcome the commitment by the UK and devolved administrations to uphold the basic tenets of the NHS in our respective countries and express my hope that together we can remain true to its founders' vision."

Health, Social Services and Public Safety Minister for Northern Ireland, Michael McGimpsey, said:

"In this year, the 60th Anniversary of the NHS, we have already seen immense change. We have witnessed incredible advances in medicine that have enabled life expectancy to increase dramatically and infant mortality to be halved.

"Sixty years on however, Northern Ireland still faces many challenges that must be addressed. Health inequalities are still rife, with those living in deprived areas more likely to suffer ill health, and an earlier death. We also have increasing rates of suicide, teenage pregnancy, obesity, smoking related deaths and binge drinking.

"Our patients rightly demand and expect equity of access to high quality, responsive health and social care services. I welcome the opportunity to voice my commitment, alongside my colleagues from across the UK, to the founding principles of the NHS. As we look forward to the next 60 years of the NHS we must never forget to put patients first and ensure they are always at the heart of our thinking."

Edwina Hart, Minister for Health and Social Services, Welsh Assembly Government, said:

"On this, the 60th anniversary of the NHS, I'm delighted to reaffirm my commitment to the founding principles of the NHS.I am proud of Wales' strong historic links to the creation of the health service and that the NHS in Wales remains committed to delivering on Bevan's founding principles every single day.

"I want too, to pay tribute to the staff, who work tirelessly and have embraced dramatic change since it was born 60 years ago. Scientific breakthroughs and new ways of treatment means that some conditions such as cancers and cardiac disease that would have been fatal many years ago are now manageable and seeing improved survival rates. Thanks to these medical advances and the creation of the NHS, people are now living longer, healthier lives.

"Like anything in life, the NHS is not perfect, and may never be perfect, but we are privileged in the UK to have such an institution that cares for so many people each and every day, which continues to be the envy of the world."

-- On Monday 30 June 2008, the Department of Health published a draft NHS Constitution for consultation which enshrines the principles and values of the NHS for the future as well as bringing together in one place for the first time rights and responsibilities for staff and patients. The draft Constitution and consultation, booklets for staff and patients and the Constitution handbook can be found at http://www.dh.gov.uk/consultations

Department of Health, UK