The National Standards for Safer Better Health will provide the building blocks for a standards-driven health service, creating a common understanding of quality and safety. The standards will give healthcare providers a structure to systematically and continuously improve the safety and quality of services delivered.

The National Standards will:
• place patients at the heart of the care process
• be a benchmark for change for safety
• give patients a clear expectation of the standard of care they can expect to receive
• ensure services will be clear on what is expected of them
• provide a strategic approach to improving safety, quality and reliability in our health service