NHS Constitution
The NHS Constitution establishes the principles and values of the NHS in England. It sets out rights to which patients, public and staff are entitled and pledges which the NHS is committed to achieve, together with responsibilities which the public, patients and staff owe to one another to ensure that the NHS operates fairly and effectively. All NHS bodies and private and third sector providers supplying NHS services are required by law to take account of the Constitution in their decisions and actions.
The Constitution became law in the autumn of 2009. In April 2010 new legal rights to fast treatment were added to the document. This means that anyone suspected of having cancer, who is urgently referred by the GP, has the legal right to wait no more than two weeks to see a specialist, and people referred to hospital for treatment which is not an emergency (i.e. it is an elective procedure) have the legal right to start their treatment within 18 weeks.
