The NHS Constitution

The NHS Constitution has been created to protect the NHS and make sure it will always do the things it was set up to do in 1948 - to provide high-quality healthcare that's free and for everyone.

The Constitution sets out your rights as an NHS patient. These rights cover how patients access health services, the quality of care you'll receive, the treatments and programmes available to you, confidentiality, information and your right to complain if things go wrong.

No government can change the Constitution without the full involvement of staff, patients and the public.

• Policy paper: NHS Constitution for England - www.gov.uk
• NHS Constitution for England: Easy Read version (pdf)