The NHS White Paper, Equity and excellence: Liberating the NHS, sets out the Government's long-term vision for the future of the NHS. The vision builds on the core values and principles of the NHS - a comprehensive service, available to all, free at the point of use, based on need, not ability to pay. It sets out how we will: (1) put patients at the heart of everything the NHS does; (2) focus on continuously improving those things that really matter to patients - the outcome of their healthcare; and (3) empower and liberate clinicians to innovate, with the freedom to focus on improving healthcare services.