title: Patients and doctors: rights and responsibilities in the NHS.
abstract: Whilst patients and doctors each bring a collection of rights and responsibilities with them into the consulting room, these parties must not be seen in isolation. The government of the day and its representatives have an absolute right to influence the future direction of the health service but they also have very grave responsibilities.
authors.affiliation: General (Internal) Medicine, Oxford Deanery, Oxford. ireckless@doctors.org.uk
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Reckless
mesh_terms: D006806:Human Rights / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D028701:Patient Rights / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D010820:Physicians / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D013222:State Medicine / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006113:United Kingdom