This Conference Voices questionnaire sets out in one table the 50 Values and Characteristics that were identified from the 50th Anniversary Delphi.

We would be very pleased if you would give us your views on which of these you think are important and describe your ideal health service, and your views on how well the NHS is performing in these areas today. Please read the instructions carefully!

1) Values and Characteristics: In the left hand column below please indicate which of the values and characteristics you believe to be most important. You have twenty-five votes. You can give all twenty-five to one value, one each to twenty-five values or any combination.

2) How is the National Health Service doing? In the right hand column below, please score how well you believe the NHS is living up to all the values and characteristics listed.

Scores:
1 = Very poorly 2 = poorly 3= well 4 = very well

Votes on Values		NHS Score
	1) Emergency care available 24hrs a day
	2) Funding arranged to relieve financial fear when illness strikes
	3) Encouraging local decision making and local responsibility
	4) Complaints and comments taken seriously and acted on
	5) Encouraging high quality research
	6)True interdisciplinary and team working
	7) Planning that takes the clinicians' views properly into account
	8) Integrity and sound corporate governance
	9) All treatment decisions fully shared with patients
	10) Provides access to the most modern technologies and treatments
	11) Emphasises individuals' responsibilities for their own health
	12) Cost conscious staff
	13) Staff satisfied with their pay and terms and conditions of service
	14) Driven by community values rather than commercial values
	15) Short waiting times
	16) Investigation and treatment as close to home as possible
	17) Open and honest policy making
	18) New treatments and technology fully assessed before widely introduced
	19) An emphasis on care as much as on cure
	20) Led by people with a breadth of vision and experience
	21) All staff well trained for their role, and with continuing in-service learning
	22) Publishing details of outcomes of treatments and quality of care
	23) Open to considering new methods of payment
	24) Encouraging evidence based medicine
	25) Staff as expert in handling people as in their technical role
	26) The public is involved in the planning process
	27) Approachable for those distanced by language, culture or age
	28) Good information about the health care available
	29) Equivalent facilities across the country
	30) A wise balance between political and other pressures
	31) Well organised and administered
	32) Care centred around needs of the patient
	33) Free at the point of delivery
	34) Opportunities for alternative and complementary medicine
	35) Active planning for the long term
	36) Explicit and straight forward statement about the limits of service provided
	37) More attention and money to the priority services and less to acute care
	38) Attention to finding and using the most cost-effective treatment
	39) Good quality well maintained buildings
	40) Realistic responsibilities and workloads for staff
	41) Possible to get appointment at times that suit the user
	42) Well integrated with social services and voluntary sector
	43) Managed by consent and not pressure
	44) Always interested in Health Promotion
	45) Lack of domination by any one profession
	46) Active interested in quality and audit
	47) No difference in treatment dependent on race culture or creed
	48) Locally accountable in a meaningful way
	49) Primary health care oriented
	50) Encouraging creativity