Patients' rights
The information provided reflects our commitment to providing you with exceptional care. It explains your rights and responsibilities relating to the care and treatment you will receive as our patient.
As a patient you have a right:
- To be treated with respect, dignity, care, consideration, courtesy and understanding of your individual, spiritual, emotional, social, physical and cultural needs.
- To be involved in the planning of your continuing health care needs, from admission through to discharge from our Hospital.
- To be informed of services available at the Mater Private Hospital Townsville, or that you can access in the community.
- To have a family member or nominated person present when you receive information about your condition.
- To ask for a second opinion and extra information on any diagnosis or treatment.
- To withdraw consent and refuse treatment after discussion about the outcomes of your decision with the healthcare professionals caring for you.
- To be informed of the names and roles of key healthcare providers and be able to refuse a particular healthcare provider at any time.
- To have access (with advanced notice) to a confidential interpreter service.
- To refuse to take part in clinical training or medical research without reason.
- To have your medical history and personal information kept confidential to the extent allowed by the law.
- To choose who is able to visit you and the right to refuse to see visitors.
- To receive an itemised final account for services within the Hospital’s control.
- To express an opinion or make reasonable verbal or written complaints regarding your treatment or any facilities or services which you feel are below your reasonable expectations. If you have concerns with any aspect of your care, please discuss this with the staff looking after you. If you would like to voice a concern or make a complaint, you may wish to speak to the nurse in charge of that particular shift. The Executive Director of Nursing is also available on telephone 07 4727 4570.
As a patient at the Hospital you, or your authorised representative, have a responsibility:
- To give staff as much information as you can about your health and any ethnic, cultural or religious beliefs that may affect your care.
- To give the Hospital accurate information about your personal and health details including current treatment and medications including recreational drugs and natural remedies.
- To be well informed about your condition and proposed treatment, before giving consent to any procedure. Feel free to ask for more information.
- To keep to the agreed treatment plan and discuss any desired change.
- To consider the consequences of refusing to comply with instructions and recommendations.
- To inform staff if you are having any problems or reactions to the treatment or the medicines being taken.
- To inform staff if you have any concerns about your discharge from Hospital and the instructions you need to follow at home.
- To inform staff if you have an Advance Health Directive/Enduring Power of Attorney which includes healthcare instructions before, or at the time of the admission, or when consenting to treatment which might be relevant to the directives.
- To understand that there may be a reason why a service is not available at a particular time.
- To tell staff if you change your contact details.
- To be on time for appointments and let staff know in advance if you wish to cancel.
- To finalise any accounts relating to your hospitalisation.
- To be considerate and respectful of the confidentiality, privacy and wellbeing of others including staff, volunteers, patients and visitors, and ask your visitors to be considerate.
- To show respect for Hospital property, as well as the property of other persons. To take responsibility for your personal belongings.