Department of Health publishes response on consultation to include new patient rights 

They consulted on whether to explore giving patients right in future to personal health budgets, but received mixed responses on this point and will not be making any proposals in the near future whilst pilots are ongoing.

The 3-month consultation was held over proposals to introduce new rights into the NHS Constitution, and the role of Constitution champion. The consultation questions asked whether a right should be created in respect of waiting times, and NHS Health Checks. The consultation also asked whether a number of other potential future rights should be explored, and asked for thoughts on the role of Constitution champion.

Over 8,000 people responded to the consultation which involved both local engagement activities carried out by primary care trusts (PCTs), and a national consultation process.