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All four UK Health Ministers today reaffirmed
their commitment to the core principles on which the NHS was founded, by
issuing a Statement of Common Principles.
Yesterday's Statement affirms that the NHS belongs to all the people of England,
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The statement recognises that while health is a devolved responsibility
under the constitutional arrangements, the core principles on which the NHS
operates across the UK are enduring and the 60th anniversary of the NHS
provides an opportunity to restate our commitment to them. They affirm that:
* The NHS provides a comprehensive service, available to all
* Access to its services is based on clinical need not an individual's
ability to pay
* The NHS aspires to high standards of excellence and professionalism
* NHS services must reflect the needs and preferences of patients, their
families and their carers
* The NHS works across organisational boundaries with other organisations in
the interests of patients, communities and the wider population
* The NHS is committed to providing the best value for taxpayers' money,
making the most effective and fair use of finite resources
* The NHS is accountable to the public, communities and patients that it
serves
Nicola Sturgeon, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, Scottish
Government, said:
"In this, the 60th anniversary year of the NHS, it is absolutely essential
that we remember and celebrate the founding principles that remain at its
core.
"Devolution has brought different approaches to the NHS in the four nations
that make up the United Kingdom and this is resulting in an unquestionable
divergence between our health systems.
"Nevertheless, this statement on our shared principles highlights a resolve
to ensure that the NHS remains free at the point of delivery and continues
to strive for the highest possible standards in clinical excellence and
patient care.
"I welcome the commitment by the UK and devolved administrations to uphold
the basic tenets of the NHS in our respective countries and express my hope
that together we can remain true to its founders' vision."
Health, Social Services and Public Safety Minister for Northern Ireland,
Michael McGimpsey, said:
"In this year, the 60th Anniversary of the NHS, we have already seen immense
change. We have witnessed incredible advances in medicine that have enabled
life expectancy to increase dramatically and infant mortality to be halved.
"Sixty years on however, Northern Ireland still faces many challenges that
must be addressed. Health inequalities are still rife, with those living in
deprived areas more likely to suffer ill health, and an earlier death. We
also have increasing rates of suicide, teenage pregnancy, obesity, smoking
related deaths and binge drinking.
"Our patients rightly demand and expect equity of access to high quality,
responsive health and social care services. I welcome the opportunity to
voice my commitment, alongside my colleagues from across the UK, to the
founding principles of the NHS. As we look forward to the next 60 years of
the NHS we must never forget to put patients first and ensure they are
always at the heart of our thinking."
Secretary of State for Health, Alan Johnson, said:
"The NHS belongs to everyone in the UK - to the people of England, Scotland,
Wales and Northern Ireland. Today the NHS sees or treats a million people
every 36 hours, eight out of ten people see their GP every year and a
million more operations are performed than just ten years ago.
"It is there to improve our health, supporting us when we are ill and when
we cannot fully recover, to look after us and make us as comfortable as
possible. It is committed to tackling health inequalities, providing
services to meet patient need and providing the highest quality clinical and
parochial care.
"In this 60th anniversary week, it is fitting that all four administrations
in the UK restate their commitment to the core founding principles of the
NHS which still endure today."
Edwina Hart, Minister for Health and Social Services, Welsh Assembly
Government, said:
"On this, the 60th anniversary of the NHS, I'm delighted to reaffirm my
commitment to the founding principles of the NHS.I am proud of Wales' strong
historic links to the creation of the health service and that the NHS in
Wales remains committed to delivering on Bevan's founding principles every
single day.
"I want too, to pay tribute to the staff, who work tirelessly and have
embraced dramatic change since it was born 60 years ago. Scientific
breakthroughs and new ways of treatment means that some conditions such as
cancers and cardiac disease that would have been fatal many years ago are
now manageable and seeing improved survival rates. Thanks to these medical
advances and the creation of the NHS, people are now living longer,
healthier lives.
"Like anything in life, the NHS is not perfect, and may never be perfect,
but we are privileged in the UK to have such an institution that cares for
so many people each and every day, which continues to be the envy of the
world."
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