Inpatient Information Patient Health Care Rights

Your Rights and Responsibilities

The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care has released a Second Edition of the Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights. You have the right to:

Access

  • Healthcare services and treatment that meets your needs

Safety

  • Receive safe and high quality care that meets national standards
  • Be cared for in an environment that is safe and makes you feel safe

Respect

  • Be treated as an individual, and with dignity and respect
  • Have your culture, identity, beliefs and choices recognised and respected

Partnership

  • Ask questions and be involved in open and honest communication
  • Make decisions with your healthcare provider, to the extent that you choose and are able to
  • Include the people that you want in planning and decision making

Information

  • Clear information about your condition, the possible benefits and risks of different tests and treatments, so you can give your informed consent
  • Receive information about services, waiting times and costs
  • Be given assistance, when you need it, to help you to understand and use health information
  • Access your health information
  • Be told if something has gone wrong during your health care, how it happened, how it may affect you and what is being done to make care safe

Privacy

  • Have your personal privacy respected
  • Have information about you and your health kept secure and confidential

Give Feedback

  • Provide feedback or make a complaint without it affecting the way that you are treated
  • Have your concerns addressed in a transparent and timely way
  • Share your experience and participate to improve the quality of care and health services