Final Report > Chapter 21: Introduction > Guiding principles underlying our approach and recommendations

Guiding principles underlying our approach and recommendations

9 We take some principles as given, in so far as they are central to the NHS and served as the guiding principles in its creation. They are reasserted in `The NHS Plan'. They include that the NHS be a publicly-funded service, free at the point of delivery, that it provide a comprehensive service and that there be equity in people's access to its services. To these we add certain principles which have guided us in our Inquiry and which underpin our recommendations. Whatever the uncertainties of the future, they are the underlying conditions which are essential to ensure that the quality of care is improved and sustained over time. The principles are as follows:

• The complexity of the NHS as an organisation must be recognised.
• Patients must be at the centre of the NHS, and thus the patient's perspective must be included in the policy, planning and delivery of services at every level.
• The dedication and commitment of NHS staff is and must remain at the core of the service.
• The quality of healthcare must include all aspects of care: clinical and non-clinical.
• Patients' safety must be the foundation of quality.
• Systems of care, and facilities, as well as individuals, affect the quality of healthcare.
• Learning from error and mistakes, rather than seeking someone to blame, must be the priority in order to improve safety and quality.
• Openness and transparency are as crucial to the development of trust between healthcare professional and patient, as they are to the trust between the NHS and the public.
• The particular needs of children's healthcare services must be addressed.