For Patients: Rights & Responsibilities

Rights & Responsibilities

Joondalup Health Campus respects your individual rights and recognises your role in making decisions about your health care.

As a patient, you have the right to:

Considerate and respectful care, regardless of your beliefs and ethnic, cultural and religious practices;
To know the name of the doctor who has primary responsibility for coordinating your care, and the identity and functions of others who are involved in providing care;
To seek a second opinion and to refuse the presence of any health care workers who are not directly involved in the provision of your care;
To receive information from your doctor in non-technical language, regarding your illness, its likely course, the expected treatment, the plans for discharge from the hospital and for follow-up care;
To receive from your doctor a description of the proposed treatment, the risks, the various acceptable alternative methods of treatment, including the risks and advantages of each, and the consequences of receiving no treatment, before giving consent to treatment. Also, unless the law prohibits, you may refuse a recommended treatment, test or procedure, and you may leave the hospital against the advice of your doctor at your own risk after completion of hospital discharge forms;
To be informed of the estimated costs prior to any treatment;
To refuse participation in any medical study or treatment considered experimental in nature. You will not be involved in such a study without your understanding and permission;
To confidentiality and privacy. Details concerning your medical care, including examinations, consultations and treatment are confidential. No information or records pertaining to your care will be released without your permission, or the permission of you representative, unless such a release is required or authorised by law or necessary to enable another health care worker to assist with your care;
To know before your discharge from hospital, about the continuing health care you may require, including the time and location for appointments and the name of the doctor who will be providing the follow-up care. You also have the right to assistance with discharge planning by qualified hospital staff to ensure appropriate post-hospital placement;
Not to be restrained, except as authorised by your physician or in an emergency when necessary to protect you or others from injury;
To associated and communicate privately with people of your choice and to send and receive your personal mail unopened unless medically contraindicated. At your request, you have the right to be visited by members of the clergy at any time. You have the right to have daily visiting hours established in accordance with hospital requirements;
To retain and use your personal clothing and possessions as space permits, unless to do so would infringe on the rights of other patients or unless medically contraindicated;
To expect safety where practices and environment are concerned;
To privacy for visits during established patient visiting hours;
To make a comment or complaint about the treatment or the quality of the health services or care without fear that you will be discriminated against; and
To have your dietary and other special needs considered.

As a patient, you have:

The responsibility to provide, to the best of your knowledge, accurate and complete information about present complaints, past illnesses, hospitalisations, medications and other matters relating to your health;
The responsibility to report unexpected changes in your condition to the responsible practitioner;
The responsibility for reporting if you do not comprehend a contemplated course of action or what is expected of you;
The responsibility for following the treatment plan recommended by the practitioner primarily responsible for your care. This may include following instructions of nurses and allied health personnel as they carry out the coordinated plan of care and implement the responsible practitioner’s orders;
The responsibility for keeping appointments and, when unable to do so for any reason, for notifying the responsible practitioner or the health care facility;
The responsibility for providing information concerning your ability to pay for services;
The responsibility for accepting the consequences of your actions if you refuse treatment or do not follow the practitioner's instructions;
The responsibility for being considerate of the rights of other patients and health care facility personnel and for assistance in the control of noise, smoking and numbers of visitors; and
The responsibility for being respectful of the property of other persons and of the health care facility;
The responsibility to explain any religious or cultural beliefs that make it difficult for you to receive recommended treatment.

If during your stay, you or your family have any concerns, please direct them to the Clinical Nurse Manager or the Director of Nursing.

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