Patients' Rights and Responsibilities

Adapted from the Scottish Executive draft consultation document June 2003

Patients' Rights

Responding to your needs

• You can expect to have access to health services which take account of your individual needs and, as far as possible, your preferences.

• If you have a carer (that is, someone who regularly helps you) we will look at their needs separately from your needs to make sure that you both have the help you need.

• If there are any other parts of your care or circumstances that you are worried about because of your culture or beliefs, you should discuss this with the people caring for you, and they will respect your views.

Communicating with you

• The health professionals caring for you will talk to you about your health and the care you need. If you need treatment (and there are different courses of action that could be taken) they will explain these clearly to you. We will give you information to help you understand what is happening to you, and ensure you are involved in decisions that may need to be made about your care and treatment. This will include the benefits and drawbacks of different courses of action. We will give you the Information in a way that is easy to understand, and that meets your needs, for example, in a language other than English.

• If you need help from an interpreter or sign-language interpreter, staff will be able to arrange this if you let them know.

Listening to what you have to say

• You have a right to comment on the care you have received, and we will tell you what will happen to any comments you make and any action that will be taken to prevent or improve a situation complained about.

• If you are not happy about any area of your care, you should always speak to someone as soon as possible so the problem can be put right. You also have a right to complain. You first need to take up your complaint locally.

Health records

• We shall keep accurate and up-to-date records of the care you receive and make those records available to NHS staff who are directly involved in your care. All are bound by a strict code of confidentiality. Information can be shared with staff from other organisations, such as social care staff, if you have given permission. Similarly, we will not share information about your condition and care with a relative, carer, or friend without your permission. Information may also be used to audit and check care standards, plan local services and to improve health care for everyone. We will not share this information more widely, for example for research, without your permission, although there are a few circumstances in which we do not need your permission (for example, following a court order or notifying a birth or some infectious diseases).

• You have the right to know how we will use your personal health information and to see your own health records. For more information about this right, see our statement Use and disclosure of health information.  You also have the right to object to us making use of your information.

Quality of care

• Your care and treatment will be based on best available evidence about the kind of care and treatment for people with conditions and needs that are similar to yours.

• You have a right to receive care and treatment that is safe in a setting which is clean and meets hygiene standards. We shall take steps to keep the risk of infection as low as possible.

• You can expect that people working in the health service and involved in your care will be competent and well trained, so they are able to provide services to meet your needs and the needs of other patients and their families and carers.

• Staff will work closely with other organisations that are involved in providing care and support in the community to make sure that your needs are met.

Other Rights

• Access NHS services
  To use the NHS and to be treated equally, no matter what your income, race, sex, age, sexuality or disability.
   

• Confidentiality
  To your health records being confidential. We will only give information about you to NHS or social care staff involved in your care, and only if you have given your permission. There are only a very few exceptions to this, for example, if there is a court order.
   

• Consent
  To accept or refuse treatment including examinations, tests and diagnostic procedures. You must be given enough information to make an informed choice about whether to accept or refuse treatment.
   

• Contraception and Maternity Services
  To receive free contraceptive advice and maternity care from your GP or from a family planning clinic.
   

• Emergency medical care
  To go to your local accident and emergency department in an emergency or to phone 999 for an ambulance.
   

• Health records
  To see your health records, and any medical reports prepared for an insurance company or employer.
   

• Information
  To receive information on local health services.
   

• Research or training
  To choose whether or not to take part in research, and to pull out of the research at any time. You have the right to choose not to be examined or treated by a student. This will not affect the way you are treated.
   

• Second opinion
  To ask for a second opinion from a different GP if you feel that the decision made about your treatment by your usual GP does not suit your treatment needs. This should not be unreasonably withheld.

Patients' Responsibilities

These rights are balanced by responsibilities which can help the health service work more efficiently. You can help yourself and health service staff if you do the following.

• Be on time
  Be on time for appointments and tell the clinic, practice or hospital if you cannot keep your appointment as soon as possible.
   

• Treat healthcare staff politely and with respect
  Healthcare staff have demanding jobs to do, often under stressful circumstances. Help them by treating them considerately. Violence or racial, sexual or verbal abuse is completely unacceptable.
   

• Using emergency services
  Only use emergency services in a real emergency. Don’t forget that there will be seriously ill people who need to use these services.
   

• Self care
  Look after your own health and think about how you could have a healthier lifestyle.
   

• Follow the advice and treatment you receive
  Try to follow any advice given to you. If you are worried about doing this, discuss it with the person giving you the advice at the time.
   

• Information
  Make sure that the practice, or any hospital or clinic you are going to, has up-to-date information about how to contact you.
   

• Medicines
  Try to take any medicine which is prescribed and finish the course of treatment. Do not take medicine which is out of date, and give old medicine to your pharmacist to get rid of.
   

• Pass on your comments to healthcare staff
  Improving services is helped if the people providing them know what you think about the services. Help staff by filling in surveys if you are asked to, and use any other ways of providing feedback.