Citation, commencement and interpretation

1. —(1) These Regulations may be cited as the National Health Service (Revision of NHS Constitution—Principles) Regulations 2013 and come into force on 1st April 2013.

(2) In these Regulations, “guiding principle” means one of the guiding principles set out in the NHS Constitution, within the meaning of Chapter 1 of the Health Act 2009( 3 ).

Revision of guiding principles

2. The guiding principles are revised in accordance with regulations 3 to 6.

Revision of first guiding principle

3. For the first guiding principle substitute—

“ 1. The NHS provides a comprehensive service, available to all irrespective of gender, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion, belief, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity or marital or civil partnership status. The service is designed to diagnose, treat and improve both physical and mental health. It has a duty to each and every individual that it serves and must respect their human rights. At the same time, it has a wider social duty to promote equality through the services it provides and to pay particular attention to groups or sections of society where improvements in health and life expectancy are not keeping pace with the rest of the population. ”

Revision of third guiding principle

4. For the third guiding principle substitute—

“ 3. The NHS aspires to the highest standards of excellence and professionalism - in the provision of high quality care that is safe, effective and focused on patient experience; in the people it employs, and in the support, education, training and development they receive; in the leadership and management of its organisations; and through its commitment to innovation and to the promotion, conduct and use of research to improve the current and future health and care of the population. Respect, dignity, compassion and care should be at the core of how patients and staff are treated not only because that is the right thing to do but because patient safety, experience and outcomes are all improved when staff are valued, empowered and supported. ”

Revision of fourth guiding principle

5. For the fourth guiding principle substitute—

“ 4. The NHS aspires to put patients at the heart of everything it does. It should support individuals to promote and manage their own health. NHS services must reflect, and should be coordinated around and tailored to, the needs and preferences of patients, their families and their carers. Patients, with their families and carers, where appropriate, will be involved in and consulted on all decisions about their care and treatment. The NHS will actively encourage feedback from the public, patients and staff, welcome it and use it to improve its services. ”

Revision of fifth guiding principle

6. For the fifth guiding principle substitute—

“ 5. The NHS works across organisational boundaries and in partnership with other organisations in the interest of patients, local communities and the wider population. The NHS is an integrated system of organisations and services bound together by the principles and values reflected in the Constitution. The NHS is committed to working jointly with other local authority services, other public sector organisations and a wide range of private and voluntary sector organisations to provide and deliver improvements in health and well-being. ”