No decision about me, without me - Department of Health

5. Conclusion: making it happen
5.1 We have reported and discussed the issues that were raised during the
consultation: both positive messages about the benefits of our proposals and
also clear messages about the importance of implementing the proposals
correctly. This chapter sets out the steps we are taking to make the vision of a
patient-centred NHS a reality.
The legal framework
5.2 We acknowledge the message that patient involvement and patient choice are
distinct, yet complementary, parts of “no decision about me, without me”. The
NHS Act 2006 (as inserted by the Health and Social Care Act 2012) places clear
duties on the NHS Commissioning Board and the clinical commissioning
groups to:
“…promote the involvement of patients, and their carers and representatives (if
any), in decisions which relate to—
And to:
(a) the prevention or diagnosis of illness in the patients, or
(b) their care or treatment.”
“act with a view to enabling patients to make choices with respect to aspects of
health services provided to them.”
The Mandate
5.3 On 13 November, the Secretary of State published a Mandate 30 to the NHS
Commissioning Board. This document sets out the objectives the Board should
seek to meet and those where the Secretary of State will hold the NHS
Commissioning Board to account. The Board will be required to publish a
business plan at the start of each year setting out how it will achieve its
objectives.
30 http://mandate.dh.gov.uk/
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