NHS Values & Constitution

Which of the following is NOT one of the NHS's six core values?

• ACompassion
• BRespect and dignity
• CCommitment to quality care
• DProfit maximisation✓

Answer: The NHS's six core values are: respect and dignity, commitment to quality care, compassion, improving lives, working together for patients, and everyone counts. Profit maximisation is not an NHS value.

What does the NHS Constitution guarantee to patients regarding emergency care?

• AImmediate access to emergency care regardless of ability to pay✓
• BFree cosmetic surgery on request at any private clinic
• CTreatment only after private insurance is confirmed
• DFree choice of any hospital anywhere across Europe

Answer: The NHS Constitution guarantees that patients have the right to receive emergency care immediately, free of charge, regardless of their ability to pay.

Which value reflects the NHS commitment to treating every person with equal importance?

• AProfit margins
• BResource rationing
• CEveryone counts✓
• DCost efficiency

Answer: Everyone counts is a core NHS value emphasising that every person matters equally and should be treated with appropriate respect regardless of their background.

What is 'duty of candour' in NHS care?

• AHiding incidents of patient harm from patients and families
• BBeing honest and open about errors and their effects on patients✓
• CKeeping mistakes confidential within the ward team unless a patient asks directly
• DBlaming other members of the ward team for what went wrong

Answer: Duty of candour requires NHS staff to be honest and open with patients if something has gone wrong, explaining what happened and apologising when appropriate.

According to NHS Constitution principles, patients have the right to information about their care. What should this include?

• AOnly the specific information a patient asks for, with nothing else volunteered
• BFull clinical detail written in medical terminology so that nothing is oversimplified
• CTreatment options, risks, and benefits in a clear, accessible way✓
• DWritten explanations reserved for patients who can demonstrate they understand medical terms

Answer: The NHS Constitution ensures patients have the right to receive treatment information and explanations in a clear, accessible way, enabling informed decision-making.

What does the NHS value 'working together for patients' emphasise?

• ACollaboration between staff, patients, carers, and communities✓
• BEach professional group working in isolation and passing on written summaries
• CDoctors making all care decisions alone and informing nurses later
• DPatients having no input into how their care is planned

Answer: Working together for patients emphasises partnership and collaboration between NHS staff, patients, families, carers, and communities to improve health outcomes.

Which pledge in the NHS Constitution relates to supporting staff wellbeing?

• AA guarantee that staff will work unpaid overtime whenever a ward is short-staffed
• BStaff may raise concerns only once a year at their formal appraisal meeting
• CWork-life balance is treated as a personal matter for staff
• DNHS will provide safe working environments and support staff health✓

Answer: The NHS Constitution pledges to provide safe, supportive working environments and promote staff health and wellbeing, recognising that staff need support to care for patients.

What is a key aspect of maintaining patient dignity in NHS care?

• AHurrying conversations with elderly patients so that the drug round finishes on time
• BSpeaking to patients using medical terminology at all times
• CIgnoring cultural preferences to keep the routine moving
• DRespecting privacy, listening to concerns, and treating with courtesy✓

Answer: Patient dignity is maintained by showing respect, ensuring privacy, listening actively to concerns, and treating patients with courtesy regardless of background.

How does the NHS Constitution address equality and diversity?

• AAll patients and staff should be treated fairly and with respect regardless of background✓
• BDiversity policies apply to staff recruitment only and have no bearing on how patients are treated
• CPatients who have contributed more in national insurance should be given priority for planned treatment
• DOnly patients who live in the wealthier parts of the country receive good care

Answer: The NHS is committed to equality and diversity, ensuring all patients and staff are treated fairly, with respect, and without discrimination based on any protected characteristic.

What does 'improving lives' as an NHS value mean?

• AConcentrating the entire budget on emergency admissions and closing preventive programmes altogether
• BPreventing illness, improving health outcomes, and enhancing quality of life✓
• CTreating acute episodes of illness only and leaving long-term conditions to social care
• DImproving outcomes only for patients who pay a contribution towards their treatment

Answer: The NHS value of improving lives encompasses preventing disease, treating illness, and helping people live longer, healthier lives with better quality of life.

According to the NHS Constitution, what are patients' rights regarding complaints?

• AOnly complaints about serious harm are formally investigated by the trust's governance team
• BComplaints are logged for statistics but no response is sent to the complainant
• CPatients have the right to raise concerns and have complaints investigated✓
• DA fee is charged before the complaints team will open a formal investigation

Answer: The NHS Constitution guarantees patients the right to raise complaints and concerns, which must be investigated openly and fairly with appropriate support provided.

What is the fundamental principle behind the NHS Constitution?

• ARationing treatment by budget so that the most expensive patients are treated last of all
• BTreating only those able to pay a means-tested contribution towards the cost of their care
• CMeeting the health needs of patients based on clinical need, free at point of care✓
• DPutting the financial position of the trust ahead of clinical need

Answer: The fundamental principle of the NHS is meeting the healthcare needs of all patients based on clinical need, not ability to pay, providing care free at point of use.

How should healthcare assistants demonstrate the value of 'compassion' in daily practice?

• AStaying emotionally detached from patients at all times
• BHelping only those patients who ask for help by name
• CShowing empathy, kindness, and genuine concern for patient wellbeing✓
• DPutting task completion ahead of how the patient feels

Answer: Compassion in practice means showing genuine empathy and kindness, understanding patient distress, and prioritising their emotional and physical wellbeing.

What does the NHS Constitution state about patients' right to refuse treatment?

• APatients lose the right to refuse once a treatment plan has been signed by a consultant
• BTreatment can be refused on a patient's behalf only by the responsible doctor
• CPatients have the right to refuse treatment after informed discussion✓
• DRefusing treatment counts as a breach of the NHS Constitution rules

Answer: The NHS Constitution respects patient autonomy, stating that patients have the right to refuse treatment after full discussion and understanding of consequences.

Which principle of the NHS reflects commitment to treating health inequalities?

• ARural areas need fewer services because far fewer people live in them
• BAccess to healthcare should be based on need, regardless of geography or background✓
• COnly the wealthier parts of the country should have well-funded services
• DEvery area should receive an identical share of resources regardless of need

Answer: The NHS aims to reduce health inequalities by ensuring those with greater health needs have appropriate access to care, based on need rather than geography or wealth.

What does the NHS Constitution state about patient involvement in healthcare decisions?

• AInvolvement depends on the patient's level of education
• BPatients have the right to be involved in decisions about their care✓
• COnly doctors are allowed to decide treatment options
• DPatients have no formal say once a treatment plan is written

Answer: The NHS Constitution emphasises patient involvement and shared decision-making, ensuring patients participate in choices affecting their health.

Which NHS value is demonstrated by offering multiple language support and accessible communication?

• AProfit maximisation through reduced spending on interpreters
• BRespect and dignity through accessible communication✓
• CEfficiency measured by the number of patients seen
• DCost reduction achieved by shorter appointments

Answer: Respect and dignity includes ensuring all patients can communicate effectively regardless of language, hearing, or literacy challenges.

What is the NHS commitment to transparency in healthcare?

• ARestricting outcome and incident information to medical professionals and senior trust managers
• BWithholding mistakes from patients until the trust has completed its internal review
• CBe open about treatment options, outcomes, and errors (duty of candour)✓
• DKeeping treatment information confidential from patients unless a solicitor requests it

Answer: NHS transparency requires open communication about treatment, risks, benefits, and honest disclosure when things go wrong.

How does the NHS Constitution address a patient's right to privacy?

• APatients have the right to confidentiality and privacy of personal information✓
• BPrivacy applies only to those patients who pay for private care
• CPatients must agree to their information being shared openly
• DNo specific privacy protection applies to records held in a hospital

Answer: The NHS guarantees patient privacy and confidentiality, with strict controls on who can access personal health information.

What does the NHS Constitution say about staff responsibility to patients?

• AOnly doctors and registered nurses carry responsibility for the safety of patients
• BStaff have no personal responsibility beyond their own job list
• CAll NHS staff are responsible for providing safe, compassionate care✓
• DOnly ward managers are accountable for the quality of care

Answer: Every NHS employee, including healthcare assistants, has a duty to put patient safety and wellbeing at the centre of their work.

Which NHS pledge addresses learning from mistakes?

• AKeeping errors inside the department to protect the reputation of the service
• BIdentifying the individual at fault in every incident and recording it in their file
• CUse feedback and complaints to improve services and prevent future harm✓
• DAcknowledging mistakes only once a patient's family has started a formal legal claim against the trust

Answer: The NHS commits to learning from patient feedback and incidents to continuously improve safety and quality of care.

How should healthcare workers respond to a patient's cultural or religious needs according to NHS values?

• ARespect and accommodate cultural and religious beliefs where possible✓
• BRequire patients to accept the standard care offered on the ward
• CIgnore cultural differences because everyone gets the same care
• DTelling patients that personal beliefs are not relevant once they are admitted to hospital

Answer: Respect and dignity include recognising and accommodating patients' cultural and religious needs within safe care parameters.

What does the NHS Constitution guarantee about waiting times?

• APatients have access to services within maximum waiting time guarantees✓
• BOnly emergency patients are given a waiting time guarantee under the Constitution
• CPatients may be left waiting for as long as the service needs
• DWaiting times are a local target rather than a patient right

Answer: The NHS Constitution sets maximum waiting time guarantees to ensure patients receive timely access to care.

How does the NHS Constitution support vulnerable patients?

• ABy applying a separate and lower standard of care that reflects their reduced capacity
• BBy limiting the rights that they can exercise while they are in hospital
• CBy providing additional protections and support for those who cannot self-advocate✓
• DBy moving them to social care instead of treating them on the ward

Answer: The NHS has special responsibilities towards vulnerable patients, ensuring they receive appropriate support and safeguarding.

What is the NHS commitment to research and innovation?

• ANever changing an established practice once it has been written into policy
• BAvoiding all new treatments until they are being used routinely overseas
• CIntroducing new treatments before any evidence has been properly reviewed
• DUse evidence-based practice and support ethical research to improve patient care✓

Answer: The NHS commits to using latest evidence and supporting research that helps improve patient outcomes.

How should healthcare assistants support the NHS value of 'improving lives'?

• AProviding emergency care only, with prevention left to GP services
• BTreating acute conditions and discharging patients as soon as possible
• CFocus on prevention, rehabilitation, and health promotion alongside treatment✓
• DLeaving wellbeing outside the clinical task to the patient's family and social services

Answer: Improving lives encompasses prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and helping patients achieve the best quality of life possible.

What does the NHS Constitution say about equal treatment?

• AAll patients should receive equal treatment regardless of background or circumstances✓
• BPatients who look after their own health should be given better treatment than those who do not
• CPatients who also pay for private treatment should get priority on NHS waiting lists too
• DTreatment should depend on a patient's nationality and residency status

Answer: The NHS commits to fair and equal treatment for all patients based on clinical need, not personal circumstances.

How does the NHS promote sustainable healthcare according to the Constitution?

• ABy excluding environmental impact from procurement so that clinical costs stay lowest
• BBy working responsibly to protect the environment and use resources sustainably✓
• CHealthcare cannot be delivered sustainably in an acute hospital
• DBy using whatever resources a service needs, since sustainability is a matter for estates teams

Answer: The NHS recognises a responsibility to work sustainably, balancing patient care with environmental and economic responsibility.

What is the NHS stance on continuous improvement?

• AStandards set at the last inspection are treated as adequate until the next one
• BSeek to continuously improve quality and efficiency of services✓
• CImprovement is not necessary between CQC inspections
• DEstablished practices should not be changed once they are written into local policy

Answer: The NHS commits to ongoing quality improvement through monitoring, feedback, and adapting services based on evidence.

How does the NHS Constitution address patient feedback?

• AAll patient feedback is valued and used to improve services✓
• BPatient feedback is filed away but not acted upon
• CFeedback is kept confidential by the complaints team and is never shared with the ward
• DOnly positive feedback is passed on to the ward team

Answer: The NHS uses all patient feedback, including complaints, to identify improvements and enhance the quality of care.

What does the NHS Constitution guarantee about treatment planning?

• ADoctors plan the treatment and the patient is told the decision once it has been finalised
• BPatients are involved in planning their treatment and can discuss options✓
• CPatients may comment on their care plan but have no say in changing any part of it
• DTreatment follows a standard pathway that is identical for every patient with the diagnosis

Answer: The NHS Constitution supports shared decision-making where patients are involved in planning their individualised treatment.

How should the NHS value of 'compassion' be reflected in practical care?

• ACompassion is not relevant to clinical decision-making
• BShowing sympathy but providing no practical help
• CRemaining emotionally detached from patients
• DUnderstanding patient suffering and taking action to alleviate it✓

Answer: Compassion means understanding patient distress and taking practical steps to ease suffering, not just expressing sympathy.

What is the NHS commitment to accessibility?

• AAccessibility improvements are made only where a trust has spare capital funding
• BDisabled patients are expected to adapt to standard services or bring their own support
• CHealthcare is available to all with reasonable adjustments for disabilities✓
• DServices are designed only for patients who are fully mobile

Answer: The NHS commits to making services accessible to everyone, including reasonable adjustments for patients with disabilities.

How does the NHS Constitution address staff well-being?

• AStaff should resolve wellbeing problems in their own time and through their own GP
• BStaff should work regardless of their health status
• CStaff wellbeing is not mentioned anywhere in the Constitution
• DThe NHS should provide safe, supportive working environments for staff✓

Answer: The NHS acknowledges that staff wellbeing directly impacts patient care and commits to providing supportive working environments.

What overarching principle guides all NHS Constitution values?

• AMinimising costs whatever the effect on quality of care
• BPutting patients first and delivering high-quality, compassionate care✓
• CMaximising the trust's financial surplus each year
• DRestricting patient rights so that services stay manageable

Answer: All NHS values are underpinned by the fundamental commitment to put patients first and deliver safe, effective, compassionate care.