Access to services
You have the right to receive NHS services free
of charge, apart from certain limited exceptions sanctioned by
Parliament.
You have the right to access NHS services. You
will not be refused access on unreasonable grounds.
You have the right to expect your local NHS to assess the health
requirements of the local community and to commission and put in
place the services to meet those needs as considered necessary.
You have the right, in certain circumstances,
to go to other European Economic Area countries or Switzerland for
treatment which would be available to you through your NHS
commissioner.
You have the right not to be unlawfully
discriminated against in the provision of NHS services including on
grounds of gender, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation,
disability (including learning disability or mental illness) or
age.1
The NHS also commits:
- to provide convenient, easy access to services within the
waiting times set out in the Handbook to the NHS Constitution
(pledge);
- to make decisions in a clear and transparent way, so that
patients and the public can understand how services are planned and
delivered (pledge); and
- to make the transition as smooth as possible when you are
referred between services, and to include you in relevant
discussions (pledge).