What is the Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights?

Everyone who uses health services in Australia has rights related to the care and services they receive.

The Charter describes what you or someone you care for can expect when receiving health care.

What are my rights?

When using a health service, you have a right to:

Access

• have access to health care services and treatment that meets your needs

Safety

• receive safe and high-quality health 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 health care provider, to the extent that you choose and are able to
• include the people that you want in planning and decision-making

Information

• be given 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 help, when you need it, to understand and use health information (including using interpreters)
• 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

• give 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

Your feedback can be kept confidential, will be dealt with professionally and will not affect the care you receive from Canberra Health Services.

You can give feedback anonymously or on behalf of someone else.

Where can I find more information?

Ask a member of staff or visit safetyandquality.gov.au/your-rights

What do I do if my rights aren’t being respected?

If you feel your rights haven’t been respected while accessing care through Canberra Health Services, you can ask to speak with the manager of the service you are using. Alternatively, you may like to contact one of the following:

Canberra Health Services Consumer Feedback team

Phone: (02) 5124 5932

Email: HealthFeedback@act.gov.au

Health Services Commissioner

ACT Human Rights Commission

Phone: (02) 6205 2222

Web: hrc.act.gov.au

Your privacy at Canberra Health Services

When you receive health care at Canberra Health Services, we need to collect basic information about you like your name and date of birth. This helps us identify you and give you safe care that is right for you. We also need to write down what happens while we are caring for you.

The information we collect about you will be protected in line with the Health Records (Privacy and Access) Act 1997 (ACT).

The information we collect will be kept in your health record. You can ask to see your health record.

The information we collect will be shared with your treating team. This includes all the people at Canberra Health Services who are involved in your care, like doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, speech pathologists, social workers, dieticians, students, and support staff. You can choose to share the information we collect with your General Practitioner (GP).

If you think any information we have about you is incorrect, please tell our staff so we can correct it.

More information

For more information on how to see your health record scan the QR code.

We will not share the information we collect about you with anyone else unless:

• we have your permission, or
• we must share it to prevent harm to you or another person, or
• it is required by law.

If you are at risk of harm e.g. from domestic violence, we have ways to keep you safe. Please talk to one of our staff so we can take steps to make sure you are safe.

Do you have an Advance Agreement, Advance Consent Direction, Nominated Person, or Advance Care Plan? If you do, please let our staff know so we can make sure your treatment reflects your values and wishes. It is okay to remind us, if we don’t ask.