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The Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights allows patients, consumers, families, carers and services providing healthcare to share an understanding of the rights of people receiving healthcare. This helps everyone to work together towards a safe and high-quality health system. A genuine partnership between patients, consumers and providers is important so that everyone achieves the best possible outcomes.
Your rights
You have a right to:
- Access healthcare (in a private health facility this means you have a choice of provider and medical practitioner in line with your level of health insurance, or you choose to self-fund your hospital admission and medical treatment).
- Receive safe and high-quality care.
- Respect, dignity and consideration.
- Be informed about services, treatment options and costs in a clear and open way.
- Be included in decisions about your care.
- Privacy and confidentiality regarding your personal information.
- Comment on and have your concerns addressed.
- Refuse any investigations, treatment or surgery. If you choose to leave the hospital against medical advice you will be asked to sign a disclaimer as the responsibility for this action rests entirely with you.
- Refuse to be questioned or examined by medical or other students.
- Decide whether you will accept visitors and how long they will stay.
- Nominate the people to be notified and they will be promptly, reliably and courteously informed.
Your responsibilities
Your responsibilities as a patient are:
- To provide the hospital and your doctor(s) accurate/complete information about your medical history (physical or psychological) and special needs for discharge from hospital.
- To clarify and discuss any aspect of your care you do not understand with your healthcare team.
- To follow your healthcare plan and comply with any instructions for your care and safety to act in a manner that does not compromise your safety.
- To consider the rights of other patients, particularly in relation to noise (radios, mobile phones, TVs and visitors) and property within the care area.
- To respect staff and ensure that your family and visitors act accordingly. The hospital has a zero-tolerance policy in respect to harassment, verbal abuse, bullying and aggression, and breaches will result in security intervention.
- To accept financial responsibility for all services rendered.
Advance Health Directive
An Advance Health Directive (AHD) is a formal way to give instructions about your future healthcare. It comes into effect only if your cognitive health deteriorates and you become unable to make your own decisions i.e. lose capacity to make decisions.
If you have an AHD, please forward this document to us when you book your admission or bring a copy on the day of your admission.