Ministers restate commitment to core NHS principles

All four health ministers for the UK have issued a statement reaffirming their commitment to the core principles of the NHS.

A statement of common principles was issued by the Department of Health, the Welsh assembly government, the Northern Ireland office and the Scottish government.

It restated that the NHS provides a comprehensive service to all, with access to services based on clinical need, rather than the ability of the individual to pay.

Furthermore, it noted that the NHS aspires to high standards of excellence and professionalism, with services reflecting the needs and choices of patients, carers and their families.

Additionally, the NHS is accountable to patients, communities and the general public, with the health services committed to making the most effective and fair use of resources to provide the best value for money for taxpayers.

Alan Johnson, secretary of state for health, said: “The NHS belongs to everyone in the UK – to the people of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

“Today the NHS sees or treats a million people every 36 hours, eight out of ten people see their GP every year and a million more operations are performed than just ten years ago.”

He added that the health service is dedicated to tackling inequalities in health and providing a top standard of clinical and parochial care.

The NHS began operating on July 5th 1948 and was based on the proposals included in the Beveridge Report laid out in 1942.