Commentary on Sections Part 1 – Quality and Delivery of NHS Services Chapter 1 - NHS Constitution Section 3:  Availability and review of NHS Constitution
89.Section 3(1) provides that the Secretary of State must ensure that the NHS Constitution continues to be available to patients, staff and members of the public. The NHS Constitution and the Handbook published on 21 January 2009 were published under the general powers of the Secretary of State in relation to the NHS. The effect of subsection (1) (and section 5(1)) is to prevent the Secretary of State from using those general powers to withdraw either document.
90.The Secretary of State is obliged to review the whole NHS Constitution at least once every ten years, with the first review to be completed by 5 July 2018 (5 July is the anniversary of the founding of the NHS; this would be the 70th anniversary). The Secretary of State must ensure, when reviewing the Constitution, that the following are consulted: patients and bodies or other persons representing patients; staff and bodies or other persons representing staff (such as unions or professional bodies); members of the public; carers; local authorities; the providers of NHS services and the independent regulators. If any revision is made to the NHS Constitution as a result of a 10 year review, the Secretary of State is obliged to republish it (see subsection (5)).
91.Any revision to the guiding principles in the NHS Constitution must first be set out in regulations made by the Secretary of State. Those regulations will be subject to the negative resolution procedure.
92.Section 3(7) defines “patients” as those to whom NHS services are being provided. It defines the “guiding principles” as the principles described in the NHS Constitution published on 21 January 2009, or any revised version of those principles. It defines “staff” as those persons who are employed by, or working in some other capacity for, the bodies and other persons who, in providing NHS services, are obliged to have regard to the NHS Constitution where those persons are employed or work in (or in connection with) the provision, commissioning or regulation of NHS services. It defines “carers” as persons who, as relatives or friends, care for other persons to whom NHS services are provided, and section 3(8) defines “local authorities” to include unitary, county and district councils. This mirrors the definition of local authorities in section 229 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007