At Hamilton Day Surgery, we are committed to providing high-quality care that respects your rights and dignity. We believe in a partnership approach to healthcare, where both patients and healthcare providers have important roles to play.

Your rights as a patient

All patients at Hamilton Day Surgery have rights under the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights. These include:

Right to respect

• To be treated with respect, dignity, and consideration for your privacy

• To have your cultural, religious, social, and personal needs respected

• To be free from discrimination, coercion, harassment, and exploitation

Right to Fair Treatment

• Your age, gender, race, beliefs, marital or family status, employment, sexual orientation or disability should not affect your treatment.

• Services should be delivered without any form of force, threat or harassment.

Right to Dignity and independence

• Your dignity and independence should be respected when receiving services.

Right to quality care

• To receive services of an appropriate standard, care and skill

• Care consistent with your needs

• To receive care that complies with legal, professional, ethical, and other relevant standards

• To have services provided in a manner that minimises potential harm and optimise your quality of life

Right to effective communication

• To receive clear information about your condition and treatment options

• To have things explained in a way you can understand

• To be informed about the benefits, risks, and costs of different treatment options

• To know the names and roles of the people providing your care

• To receive the results of tests and procedures

Right to information

• You should always be given:

  • an explanation of your condition

  • your available options, including the expected risks, side effects, benefits and costs

  • an estimate of when you will receive a service

  • advice of any possible involvement in teaching or research

  • the results of tests or procedures

  • the information you need to make a decision.

• You should be given honest answers to any questions you have about services, including:

  • the identity or qualifications of a provider

  • your provider’s recommendations

  • how to get another opinion

  • results of research you were involved in.

• You have a right to request and receive a written summary of information.

Right to choice and consent

• You should receive a service only when you have made an informed choice and given your informed consent.

• You should be considered competent to make choices and give consent, unless a provider has reasonable grounds to think otherwise.

• If your competence is reduced (eg, you are a child), you should still make choices and give consent at the level of your ability.

• If you are unable to give your consent (eg, you are unconscious), services can be delivered but they should be in your best interests. Providers should first try to find out whether services would be consistent with your wishes, including talking to available family and close friends.

• You may make a decision about a future health care procedure, if this choice is legally allowed.

• You should consent in writing if you agree to being involved in research, an experimental procedure, a general anaesthetic, or if significant adverse effects are possible.

• You may refuse services and withdraw your consent.

• You may ask to change to another provider if this change is practicable.

• You can decide whether your body parts or bodily substances may be used or stored.

Right to Support

• A support person(s) of your choice may accompany you, as long as it is safe and it does not affect other people’s rights.

Right to privacy

• To have your privacy respected

• To confidentiality of your health information

• To access your health information

Right to complaint

• To complain about any aspect of your care

• To have your complaint taken seriously and investigated appropriately

• To be informed about the outcome of your complaint