National Health Service Act 2006

The Secretary of State and the health service in England E+W

[F1 1 Secretary of State's duty to promote comprehensive health service E+W

(1) The Secretary of State must continue the promotion in England of a comprehensive health service designed to secure improvement—

(a) in the physical and mental health of the people of England, and

(b) in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of physical and mental illness.

(2) For that purpose, the Secretary of State must exercise the functions conferred by this Act so as to secure that services are provided in accordance with this Act.

(3) The Secretary of State retains ministerial responsibility to Parliament for the provision of the health service in England.

(4) The services provided as part of the health service in England must be free of charge except in so far as the making and recovery of charges is expressly provided for by or under any enactment, whenever passed.]

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 1 substituted (1.10.2012 for specified purposes, 1.4.2013 in so far as not already in force) by Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c. 7), ss. 1, 306(4); S.I. 2012/1831, art. 2(2); S.I. 2013/160, art. 2(2) (with arts. 7-9)

[F2 1A Duty as to improvement in quality of services E+W

(1) The Secretary of State must exercise the functions of the Secretary of State in relation to the health service with a view to securing continuous improvement in the quality of services provided to individuals for or in connection with—

(a) the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of illness, or

(b) the protection or improvement of public health.

(2) In discharging the duty under subsection (1) the Secretary of State must, in particular, act with a view to securing continuous improvement in the outcomes that are achieved from the provision of the services.

(3) The outcomes relevant for the purposes of subsection (2) include, in particular, outcomes which show—

(a) the effectiveness of the services,

(b) the safety of the services, and

(c) the quality of the experience undergone by patients.

(4) In discharging the duty under subsection (1), the Secretary of State must have regard to the quality standards prepared by NICE under section 234 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012.]

Textual Amendments

F2 S. 1A inserted (1.4.2013) by Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c. 7), ss. 2, 306(4); S.I. 2013/160, art. 2(2) (with arts. 7-9)

[F3 1B Duty as to the NHS Constitution E+W

(1) In exercising functions in relation to the health service, the Secretary of State must have regard to the NHS Constitution.

(2) In this Act, “NHS Constitution” has the same meaning as in Chapter 1 of Part 1 of the Health Act 2009 (see section 1 of that Act).]

Textual Amendments

F3 S. 1B inserted (1.4.2013) by Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c. 7), ss. 3, 306(4); S.I. 2013/160, art. 2(2) (with arts. 7-9)

[F4 1C Duty as to reducing inequalities E+W

In exercising functions in relation to the health service, the Secretary of State must have regard to the need to reduce inequalities between the people of England with respect to the benefits that they can obtain from the health service.]

Textual Amendments

F4 S. 1C inserted (1.4.2013) by Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c. 7), ss. 4, 306(4); S.I. 2013/160, art. 2(2) (with arts. 7-9)

F5 1D Duty as to promoting autonomy E+W

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F5 S. 1D omitted (1.7.2022) by virtue of Health and Care Act 2022 (c. 31), ss. 73(1)(a), 186(6); S.I. 2022/734, reg. 2(a), Sch. (with regs. 13, 29, 30)

[F6 1E Duty as to research E+W

In exercising functions in relation to the health service, the Secretary of State must [F7 facilitate or otherwise] promote—

(a) research on matters relevant to the health service, and

(b) the use in the health service of evidence obtained from research.]

Textual Amendments

F6 S. 1E inserted (1.4.2013) by Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c. 7), ss. 6, 306(4); S.I. 2013/160, art. 2(2) (with arts. 7-9)

F7 Words in s. 1E inserted (1.7.2022) by Health and Care Act 2022 (c. 31), ss. 40, 186(6); S.I. 2022/734, reg. 2(a), Sch. (with regs. 13, 29, 30)

[F8 1F Duty as to education and training E+W

(1) The Secretary of State must exercise the functions of the Secretary of State under any relevant enactment so as to secure that there is an effective system for the planning and delivery of education and training to persons who are employed, or who are considering becoming employed, in an activity which involves or is connected with the provision of services as part of the health service in England.

(2) Any arrangements made with a person under this Act for the provision of services as part of that health service must include arrangements for securing that the person co-operates with the Secretary of State [F9 and [F10 NHS England]] in the discharge of the duty under subsection (1) (or, where a Special Health Authority is discharging that duty by virtue of a direction under section 7, with the Special Health Authority).

(3) In subsection (1), “relevant enactment” means—

(a) section 63 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968,

(b) this Act,

(c) the Health and Social Care Act 2008,

(d) the Health Act 2009, and

(e) the Health and Social Care Act 2012.]

Textual Amendments

F8 S. 1F inserted (1.4.2013) by Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c. 7), ss. 7, 306(4); S.I. 2013/160, art. 2(2) (with arts. 7-9)

F9 Words in s. 1F(2) inserted (1.4.2015) by Care Act 2014 (c. 23), ss. 97(4)(a), 127(1); S.I. 2014/3186, art. 2(a)

F10 Words in s. 1F(2) substituted (1.4.2023) by The Health Education England (Transfer of Functions, Abolition and Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/368), reg. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 9(2) (with reg. 7)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 1F(1): power to apply conferred (1.4.2015) by Care Act 2014 (c. 23), ss. 97(2), 127(1); S.I. 2014/3186, art. 2(a)

[F11 1G Secretary of State's duty as to reporting on and reviewing treatment of providers E+W

(1) The Secretary of State must, within one year of the passing of the Health and Social Care Act 2012, lay a report before Parliament on the treatment of NHS health care providers as respects any matter, including taxation, which might affect their ability to provide health care services for the purposes of the NHS or the reward available to them for doing so.

(2) The report must include recommendations as to how any differences in the treatment of NHS health care providers identified in the report could be addressed.

(3) The Secretary of State must keep under review the treatment of NHS health care providers as respects any such matter as is mentioned in subsection (1).

(4) In this section—

(a) “NHS health care providers” means persons providing or intending to provide health care services for the purposes of the NHS, and

(b) “health care services for the purposes of the NHS” has the same meaning as in Part 3 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012.]

Textual Amendments

F11 S. 1G inserted (1.6.2012) by Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c. 7), ss. 8, 306(4); S.I. 2012/1319, art. 2(2)

[F12 1GA Secretary of State’s duty to report on workforce systems E+W

(1) The Secretary of State must, at least once every five years, publish a report describing the system in place for assessing and meeting the workforce needs of the health service in England.

(2) NHS England F13 ...must assist in the preparation of a report under this section, if requested to do so by the Secretary of State.]

Textual Amendments

F12 S. 1GA inserted (1.7.2022) by Health and Care Act 2022 (c. 31), ss. 41, 186(6); S.I. 2022/734, reg. 2(a), Sch. (with regs. 13, 29, 30)

F13 Words in s. 1GA(2) omitted (1.4.2023) by virtue of The Health Education England (Transfer of Functions, Abolition and Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/368), reg. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 9(3) (with reg. 7)