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