Patient’s Rights & Responsibilities

As a patient you have certain rights and entitlements, some of which are detailed below:

• Access NHS Services – To use the NHS and to be treated equally, no matter what your income, race, sex, age, sexuality or disability.
• Confidentiality – Your health records are confidential. We will only give information about you to NHS or social care staff involved in your care, and only if you have given your permission. There are only a few exemptions to this, for example, if there is a court order.
• Consent – You may accept or refuse treatment including examinations, tests and diagnostic procedures. You must be given enough information to make an informed choice about whether to accept or refuse treatment.
• Contraception And Maternity Services – You can receive free contraceptive advice and maternity care from your GP or from a family planning clinic.
• Emergency Medical Care – You are able to go to your local accident and emergency department in an emergency or to phone 999 for an ambulance.
• Health Records – You are able to see your health records, and any medical reports prepared for an insurance company or employer. For more information on getting access to your records, see the leaflet, “How To Access Your Health Records”.
• Second Opinion – You may ask for a second opinion from a different GP should you feel that the decision made about your treatment by your usual GP does not suit your treatment needs.
• Complaints – You may complain if you are not happy with the treatment or service you have received from the practice. We ask that you discuss any complaint or suggestion you may have with the practice manager in the first instance. The Practice Complaints Procedure is displayed at the Reception desk and you can request a Patients Complaints Procedure leaflet from the practice.

These patient’s rights are balanced by patient’s responsibilities, which can help the practice work more efficiently. You can help yourself and the practice staff if you adhere to the following:

• Be On Time – Be on time for appointments and tell the practice, clinic or hospital if you cannot keep your appointment.
• Treat Practice/Healthcare Staff Politely and Respectfully – Practice/Healthcare staff have demanding jobs to do, often under stressful circumstances. Help them by treating them considerately. Violence or racial, sexual or verbal abuse is completely unacceptable.
• Follow the Advice and Treatment You Receive – Try to follow any advice given to you. If you are worried about doing this, discuss it with the person giving you the advice at the time.
• Information – Make sure that your doctor, hospital or any clinic you are going to has up-to-date information about how to contact you.
• Medicines – Try to take any medicine prescribed for you and finish the course of treatment. Do not take medicines which are out of date. Give old medicines to your pharmacists to get rid of. Do not take medicines which have not been prescribed for you.
• Using Emergency Services – Only use emergency services in a real emergency. Don’t forget that there will be seriously ill people who need to use these services.

(Taken from the Draft Patient Rights and Responsibilities From The Scottish Consumer Council June 2003)