Should the NHS Take More Account of Patients' Rights?
In 2006 The Patients Association continued its work on Patients’ Rights with further research and its November report 'Should the NHS Take More Account of Patients' Rights?'. The survey asked Patient and Public Involvement Health Forums, senior executives and trustees of national health organisations and health campaigners a range of questions relating to patients rights.
This report focused on the patient perspective of NHS services and patients' current and future rights. More than half of the report's participants stated that the NHS was not doing a good job for their constituency with the highest dissatisfaction amongst mental health groups. A majority felt that patients were not able to exercise all of their rights within the NHS and in particular there were complaints over the lack of choice of hospital from many mental health and London-based groups.
Strong arguments to emerge from the report include patients needing more information, guaranteed standards of care and equitable treatment throughout the NHS. A particularly interesting issue to arise from the survey was that more than half of participants disagreed with 'postcode prescribing'.
