Your Rights and Responsibilities

The Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights was devised to ensure that the rights of all patients accessing health care in Australia are provided with safe high quality care. The Charter recognises the genuine importance the partnership between patients, consumers and providers plays in achieving the best possible outcome for those involved. As Australia is a society made up of many different cultures and ways of life, the Charter acknowledges and respects these differences. In 2018 the Commission commenced a review of the Charter. The second edition reflects an increased focus on person-centred care and empowers consumers to take an active role in their healthcare.

The following list outlines your rights and responsibilities as our patient in accordance with the Australian Charter on Healthcare Rights and the principles of the Human Rights Act.

  • Access – you have the right to access healthcare services that meet your needs.
  • Safety – you have the right to receive safe and high quality health care that meets national standards. You have the right to be cared for in an environment that is safe and makes you feel safe.
  • Respect – you have the right to be treated as an individual, and with dignity and respect. You have the right to have your culture, identity, beliefs and choices recognised and respected.
  • Partnership – you have the right to ask questions and be involved in open and honest communication. You have the right to 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 – you have the right to clear information about your condition, the possible benefits and risks of different tests and treatments so you can give your informed consent. You have the right to receive information about services, waiting times and costs. You have the right to be given assistance when you need it to help you understand and use health information. You have the right to access your health information. You have the right to 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 – you have the right to have your personal privacy respected. You have the right to have information about you and your health kept secure and confidential.
  • Give Feedback – you have the right to give feedback or make a complaint without it affecting the way that you are treated. You have the right to have your concerns addressed in a transparent and timely way. You have the right to share your experience and participate to improve the quality of care and health services.

Click here for the second edition of the charter of healthcare rights brochure in easy to read English. The Charter has also been translated into 19 languages Click here to access the webpage with links to all the languages.

As outlined above every patient has the right to be treated with care, consideration and dignity. At Darwin Day Surgery we respect this simple right, and are committed to improving the safety and quality of the care we deliver by working with our patients. That’s why we have a policy of open disclosure for when the planned care doesn’t go as expected. Open disclosure assists patients when they are unintentionally harmed during health care by having an open discussion about the incident.This discussion will be with your doctor or nurse about why the incident caused harm. As well as ways to move forward and make any improvements to ensure that this incident does not happen to anyone else.

See the attached leaflet which aims to help inform you, the patient, your family and carers about the open disclosure process.