Thank you very much for engaging with us throughout last year on the NHS Constitution 10-year review, we appreciate it has been a long time since we provided an official update on the consultation and next steps.
To those who responded to the previous consultation, we are incredibly grateful for the time and care you have taken to share your views. We recognise that the timing of the General Election announcement disrupted the consultation and people’s ability to respond and appreciate that more could have been done to ensure the accessibility and inclusivity of the consultation. For these reasons, this 10-year review is now closed.
However, an update to the NHS Constitution is needed to reflect the priorities of this government. To deliver this, the government will launch a new consultation on the NHS Constitution alongside the extensive engagement of the 10-year health plan. Exact timings for this will be set out in due course. This will ensure that the rights and responsibilities of NHS staff, patients and the public, as outlined in the NHS Constitution, are aligned with the government’s long-term vision for NHS reform. For those who spent their time responding to the consultation, be assured that we will pay due regard to your previous feedback, alongside a range of other evidence, during development of the next consultation on the NHS Constitution.
Thank you for your patience whilst we have been establishing next steps on the NHS Constitution, and for your ongoing engagement. We will be in contact with details on an updated consultation in due course and are happy to answer any questions you may have at this stage.
Kind regards,
NHS Constitution team