The Six NHS Constitution Values

The NHS Constitution establishes six core values that underpin everything the NHS does. These values are not abstract ideals — they are practical expectations for how every NHS employee, from porters to consultants, should behave. For SJT, they provide a direct guide to what is considered "appropriate" professional conduct.

This lesson examines each value in depth, with scenario applications showing exactly how they translate into correct SJT answers.

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Overview of the Six Values

#	Value	Core idea
1	Working together for patients	Collaboration and patient-centred teamwork
2	Respect and dignity	Treating every person with courtesy and respect
3	Commitment to quality of care	Striving for excellence and continuous improvement
4	Compassion	Responding with humanity and kindness
5	Improving lives	Working to improve health and wellbeing
6	Everyone counts	Inclusivity, equity, and fair use of resources

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Value 1: Working Together for Patients

What It Means

Patients come first in everything the NHS does. All staff — regardless of role, department, or organisation — work together to ensure the best possible care.

In Practice

Behaviour	Example
Cross-team collaboration	Sharing relevant information with other members of the multidisciplinary team
Patient-centred decision-making	Asking "what is best for the patient?" rather than "what is easiest for us?"
Breaking down silos	Communicating with colleagues in other departments when a patient's care spans multiple services
Involving patients as partners	Including the patient in discussions about their own care plan

SJT Scenario Application

Scenario: You are a medical student on a surgical placement. A patient tells you they are worried about their upcoming operation but feels they cannot raise their concerns with the busy surgical team.

Action	Rating	Why
Encourage the patient to voice their concerns and offer to help them communicate with the team	Very appropriate	Puts the patient first; facilitates collaboration between patient and team
Tell the patient not to worry because the surgical team is very experienced	Inappropriate, but not awful	Dismisses the patient's concerns; does not facilitate communication
Inform the surgical team that the patient has concerns and suggest they speak with the patient	Very appropriate	Directly works together for the patient's benefit
Tell the patient it is not your place to get involved	Very inappropriate	Abandons the patient and refuses to collaborate

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Value 2: Respect and Dignity

What It Means

Every patient, carer, family member, and colleague is treated with respect. This includes respecting people's privacy, autonomy, and individuality.

In Practice

Behaviour	Example
Using appropriate language	Addressing patients by their preferred name and title
Maintaining privacy	Drawing curtains during examinations, not discussing patients in public areas
Respecting cultural and religious needs	Accommodating dietary requirements, prayer times, or same-sex care preferences where possible
Listening actively	Giving full attention when a patient is speaking, not interrupting
Challenging disrespect	Speaking up when a colleague treats someone disrespectfully

SJT Scenario Application

Scenario: During a ward round, a consultant refers to a patient by their bed number rather than their name and makes a joke about the patient's condition in the corridor.

Action	Rating	Why
After the round, privately suggest to the consultant that using the patient's name would be more respectful	Very appropriate	Addresses the issue professionally and privately
Laugh along with the joke to maintain a good relationship with the consultant	Very inappropriate	Condones disrespectful behaviour
Make a point of using the patient's name yourself when discussing their care	Appropriate, but not ideal	Models good behaviour but does not address the consultant's conduct
Report the consultant to the GMC immediately	Inappropriate, but not awful	Disproportionate first step; a private conversation should come first

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Value 3: Commitment to Quality of Care

What It Means

Every member of the NHS is expected to pursue the highest standards of care, be open to learning, and actively work to improve services.

In Practice

Behaviour	Example
Evidence-based practice	Basing clinical decisions on the best available evidence
Continuous learning	Attending training, reading journals, learning from colleagues
Audit and feedback	Participating in clinical audit and acting on the findings
Speaking up about quality concerns	Raising issues when standards are not being met
Reflecting on practice	Regularly reviewing your own performance and identifying areas for improvement

SJT Scenario Application

Scenario: You notice that a ward's hand hygiene compliance has been declining over the past few weeks. You are a medical student on placement.

Action	Rating	Why
Raise the issue with the ward manager or infection control team	Very appropriate	Directly addresses a quality and safety concern through the appropriate channel
Ensure your own hand hygiene is exemplary but say nothing about the wider issue	Inappropriate, but not awful	Good personal practice but fails to address the systemic problem
Suggest at a team meeting that the ward reviews its hand hygiene protocol	Very appropriate	Constructive, team-based approach to quality improvement
Assume someone else will have noticed and take no action	Very inappropriate	Abdicates responsibility for patient safety and quality

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Value 4: Compassion

What It Means

Compassion in the NHS means responding with humanity and kindness to every person's pain, distress, anxiety, or need. It goes beyond clinical competence to recognise the emotional and human dimension of healthcare.

In Practice

Behaviour	Example
Empathetic listening	Taking time to hear a patient's fears, not just their symptoms
Small acts of kindness	Offering a tissue, adjusting a pillow, sitting at the patient's level
Recognising emotional distress	Noticing when a patient or relative is struggling and responding with warmth
Patience	Not rushing a confused or anxious patient
Compassion for colleagues	Checking on a colleague who seems stressed or upset

The Compassion-Efficiency Balance in SJT