Patients & Relatives

1. Access to the hospital services most appropriate to the nature of your illness.
2. Care given with respect for human dignity — medical, nursing and allied health services, appropriate accommodation and treatment, and effective administrative support.
3. To consent to or refuse any diagnostic or therapeutic procedure. Where a patient has partial or complete mental incapacity, this right is exercised by their legally authorised representative.
4. To request information on all matters concerning your condition, complete enough to understand the medical, social and financial aspects and to take part in decisions affecting your future.
5. Protection of your privacy, and confidentiality of your medical record, notes and findings.
6. Respect for and recognition of your religious and ideological beliefs.
7. To raise or formally submit complaints, and to be fully informed of the action taken and the outcome.

You have the right to refuse treatment or to stop it, after your doctor has fully explained the consequences of that decision, the responsibility you assume, and any alternative treatments available. If you withhold consent, the procedure will not go ahead.

Before consenting to any examination, procedure or operation, you are encouraged to ask about its reason, significance, method, expected outcome, benefits, risks and alternatives. Written consent is normally requested for transfusions, surgery, anaesthesia or sedation, and invasive procedures.

1. Give clear, accurate information about your identity, medical history, previous hospitalisations, and all medicines and supplements you take. Tell staff about any change in your condition.
2. Take an active part in planning your treatment, before and after discharge.
3. Follow the treatment plan recommended by your doctor, and say so immediately if anything is unclear.
4. Cooperate with the relevant departments regarding payment, and tell us promptly of any difficulty meeting your obligations.
5. Show consideration and respect towards other patients and towards staff.
6. Observe visiting hours, speak quietly, and keep phone volume low — and ask your relatives to do the same.
7. Help keep the hospital clean and use its equipment and facilities appropriately.
8. Remember that smoking is prohibited in all areas.

Everything you tell us is confidential. We avoid discussions in front of third parties unless you tell us otherwise. All information in your medical record — history, current condition and progress — is treated as sensitive personal data and held in strict confidence by every member of staff without exception.

Medical information about a patient is given only by the attending physician. Please tell your doctor which people close to you should receive information about your hospitalisation.

Staff will confirm your full name and date of birth repeatedly — this is part of the patient identification programme and your cooperation matters. Self-administration of medication is not permitted; hand any medicines brought from home to the nursing staff.

Hospital beds are narrower and higher than beds at home. Wear non-slip footwear, use the call bell before getting out of bed, tell staff if you have a history of falls, and do not move bed rails yourself. Hand washing remains the single most effective way to prevent infection.