McHale Jean V
Centre for Health Law, Science and Policy, University of Birmingham.
Br J Nurs. 2012;21(9):552-3. doi: 10.12968/bjon.2012.21.9.552.
On 8 March 2012, the NHS published the latest version of its Constitution. In this article, the author explores the background of the debate regarding patients' rights and entitlements in the NHS. The author also discusses the provisions of the NHS Constitution, noting that it is largely a statement of existing principles, rather than a bold statement of rights. The paper suggests that, in some instances, its discussion of rights may suggest that patients have broader rights than may in fact be the case. The Constitution is currently under review, and the author recommends that the way forward for a society where the provision of care is likely to be more complex would be the introduction of a Patients' Rights Act.
2012年3月8日，英国国家医疗服务体系（NHS）公布了其宪法的最新版本。在本文中，作者探讨了NHS中关于患者权利和应享待遇辩论的背景。作者还讨论了NHS宪法的条款，指出它在很大程度上是对现有原则的陈述，而非对权利的大胆宣示。该论文表明，在某些情况下，其对权利的讨论可能暗示患者拥有比实际情况更广泛的权利。该宪法目前正在接受审查，作者建议，对于一个医疗服务可能更为复杂的社会而言，未来的发展方向是引入一部《患者权利法案》。
