The NHS Choice Framework: what choices are available to me in the NHS?
The government is committed to giving patients greater choice and control over how they receive their health care, and to empowering patients to shape and manage their own health and care. This framework sets out some of the choices available to you in the NHS. It explains:
- when you have choices about your health care
- where to get more information to help you choose
- how to complain if you are not offered a choice
In some circumstances you have legal rights to choice and you must be given these choices by law. In other circumstances you do not have a legal right to choice but you should be offered choice about your care, depending on what is available locally. This is what the government has asked health care professionals to do.
The entitlements to choice set out in this guide reflect those in the NHS Constitution. The Constitution establishes the principles and values of the NHS in England. It sets out rights to which patients, public and staff are entitled, and pledges which the NHS is committed to achieve, together with responsibilities, which the public, patients and staff owe to one another to ensure that the NHS operates fairly and effectively.
NHS Choice Framework - information for patients:
Detailed information on the choices available to you can be found using this guide: The NHS Choice Framework: what choices are available to me in the NHS?
For more accessible, easy read versions of this guide please follow the links below:
Easyread leaflet 1: Choosing doctors
Easyread leaflet 2: Choosing where to go for health tests
Easyread leaflet 3: Choosing your hospital
Easyread leaflet 4: Changing your hospital
Easyread leaflet 5: Having a baby
Easyread leaflet 6: Choosing services in the community and personal health budgets
Easyread leaflet 7: Choosing services in other parts of Europe
Easyread leaflet 8: Taking part in health research
For more information please click here.
