Human Rights information
A good way to understand human rights is to see them as a
vehicle for making principles such as dignity, equality, respect,
fairness and autonomy central to our lived experience as human
beings. These core principles are brought to life by a range of
different human rights that make them real. For example, the
principle of dignity is what lies beneath the right not to be
tortured or treated in an inhuman or degrading way, while the
principle of autonomy informs the right to respect for private and
family life. This means that obligations placed on Trusts and other
public bodies to respect human rights can give these principles
real meaning in people's lives.
| Principle |
Human Right |
| Dignity |
Right not to be tortured or treated in an inhuman or degrading
way |
| Equality |
Right not to be discriminated against in the enjoyment of other
human rights |
| Respect |
Right to respect for family and private life |
| Fairness |
Right to a fair trail |
| Autonomy |
Right to respect for private life |
Please click HUMAN RIGHTS
ACT for more information and guidance from the Equality and
Human Rights Commission website on the Human Rights Act 1998.
Human Rights and the NHS
As an NHS Trust we are expected to take a Human Rights Based
Approach to delivering healthcare. The benefits of this are:
- Improved quality of health services, with patient experience
reflecting the principles of dignity, equality, respect, fairness
and autonomy
- Design and delivery of health services in a person-centered
way
- Human rights used proactively as a common sense tool for better
practice
- Reduced risk of complaints and litigation under the Human
Rights Act and equalities legislation
- Improved decision-making overall - better reasoned and properly
recorded decisions that can be presented to service users and those
involved in internal and external scrutiny
- Uncomfortable or complex issues involving people's rights are
handled more effectively and with greater patient satisfaction
- Broader range of marginalised and disadvantaged people and
groups are involved and considered in the design and delivery of
health services
- More meaningful engagement of patients and their carers and
families in the development of policy and practice
- A tool for pioneering good practice particularly in new areas
where guidance does not yet exist
- Underpinning work to meet indicators in the Equality and Human
Rights agenda such as Health Care Commission Core Standards as well
as guidelines set out by the National Institute of Health and
Clinical Excellence.
Source: Human Rights in Healthcare - A Framework for Local
Action (Department of Health Publication)
Resources for the Human Rights Act 1998