GPs urged to publicise patient rights

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Aug 6 2012

By Caroline Price

Patients have 'very limited' knowledge of their rights as laid out in the NHS Constitution, the Patients Association says.

Its survey found that the majority (61%) of patients had not heard of the NHS Constitution.

On hearing about it, most patients indicated they would like to know more about what the Constitution says, in particular on the right to be involved in decisions about care, to be given information about treatment and to be treated with dignity and respect.

In its report, The NHS Constitution: Fact or Fiction?, the Association calls for an awareness campaign to promote more widespread understanding of the NHS Constitution among patients and NHS staff.

Noting that the vast majority of patient interactions with the NHS take place in general practice, the Association recommends that, "as a first step, posters on the NHS Constitution be put up in a prominent position in every GP surgery and leaflets produced that are also available in every GP surgery should patients need further information". In addition, the Association is launching a new GP Checklist Report to help "give patients confidence to talk to their GP as an equal partner in decision making".

According to recent research by the NHS Future Forum, awareness is greater among NHS staff, with 78% of GPs reporting knowledge of the NHS Constitution. While reflecting a significant increase on figures from 2009, the Association cautions that "this has not been passed on to patients, with little rise in patient awareness over the same time frame".

Katherine Murphy, Chief Executive of The Patients Association, said: "If the NHS Constitution is to become a reality, rather than simply rhetoric, there must be a genuine and meaningful awareness campaign. This survey is a rallying call to action for everybody involved in the health service including the Government, Trusts, CCGs, GPs and other professionals, and of course patients and the public."

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Posted in: Medical Research News

Tags: General Practitioner, Hearing, ObGyn, Research, Surgery

Comments (3)

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NHS Constitution

Tracey says:

August 10, 2012 at 4:35 PM

What constitution, I tried to get the NHS to do a full investigate into care of a relative, as recomended within Safeguarding. All a waste of time, all the authorities and NHS do is put barriers in the way and avoid asking any direct questions.

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:Patients Rights from the NHS constitution

Des Halestrap says:

August 12, 2012 at 10:08 AM

I don't think many patients would dare to try it ,but is there a way of producing a list of patients rights without wading through the NHS constitution.
In this "compensation culture " I would not want to produce such a list. But is there anyone out there who is braver than me?I suppose NHS Constitution fact or fiction is a first step.We know what the position is now so lets try the first step????

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Patient Rights

Tracy Marchant says:

August 13, 2012 at 5:47 AM

There are too many GPs who have no intention of informing patients about their rights as outlined in the NHS constitution.

Even if they do publicise it, God forbid any patient that tries to claim their rights and challenges a GP if they don't get them.

GPs need to be held accountable and until that happens there will be no change in the cultural attitude that abounds in the professions i.e. a GP knows best and all patients are idiots and don't know what's good for them.

A constitution is lauadable and a step in the right direction but enforcing adherance to that constitiution shouldn't rest on the shoulders of vulnerable patient's.

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