Press Release

RCGP response to the announcement of the NHS Constitution

30.06.08

Professor Steve Field, RCGP Chairman, said:

"I became a GP because I wanted to help people improve their lives through better healthcare, whoever and wherever they are.

"The new NHS Constitution embodies the strong feelings and values I had then - and that I still have today. It strengthens the foundations on which the NHS is built and strongly articulates what the NHS stands for in the 21st century.

"The Royal College of GPs is at the forefront of patient-centred care based on a partnership between patients and clinicians. The Constitution sets out patients' rights and responsibilities in a clear way for the first time and it is very welcome. It is something to which all GPs, their practice teams and NHS staff can commit and have confidence in to improve standards and care for all our patients and I am privileged to have been involved in its development."