Your healthcare rights and responsibilities 

Epworth endorses the My Health Care Rights Poster A4. The Charter describes what you, or someone you care for, can expect when receiving health care.

These rights apply to all people in all places where health care is provided in Australia. This includes public and private hospitals, day procedure services, general practice and other community health services.

It describes seven fundamental rights including: access, safety, respect, partnership, information, privacy and giving feedback.

You have the right to:

• Access
  • Healthcare services and treatment that meets my needs

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

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

• Partnership
  • Ask questions and be involved in open and honest communication
  • Make decisions with my healthcare provider, to the extent that I choose and am able to
  • Include the people that I want in planning and decision-making

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

• Privacy
  • Have my personal privacy respected
  • Have information about me and my health kept secure and confidential

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

The Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights is available on all hospital wards.

Translations

• Chinese - simplified translation
• Chinese - traditional translation
• French translation
• Greek translation
• Hindi translation
• Indonesian translation
• Italian translation
• Japanese translation
• Thai translation
• Vietnamese translation

Patient responsibilities

To help us to provide you the best possible care, you have the responsibility to:

• know and disclose your medical history including medications taken
• keep appointments or advise those concerned if you are unable to do so
• inform the doctor if you are receiving treatment from another health professional
• follow instructions regarding your treatment and care
• pay for any services and products received as a private patient (unless private health insurance, or third party payers covers them)
• treat all people you meet in the health service (staff, volunteers, patients, their families) with care, dignity and consideration
• respect the confidentiality and privacy of others

Patient resources

The Australian Commissions on Safety and Quality in Healthcare has developed a detailed guide and  summary booklet to support consumers to better understand their healthcare rights.