Rights and responsibilities

You have a fundamental right to health care that is:

• respectful
• responsive
• safe
• effective.

Likewise, you have an obligation to treat staff and other patients with respect and to provide your health practitioner with all relevant health information.

Mutual respect will help ensure a positive experience

Healthcare professionals have a duty to:

• treat you respectfully
• listen to your concerns
• answer your questions clearly and honestly
• inform and educate you about your illness.

As a patient, you are required to:

• give your health provider all relevant health information, including your medical history and all medicines you are currently taking
• advise staff of any change in your condition or problems with your treatment.

Patient rights and obligations are governed by the Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights in WA (external site).

Patients accessing mental health services

The Mental Health Act 2014  (external site) provides a number of extra rights for patients receiving psychiatric treatment. For more information please contact the Office of the Chief Psychiatrist (external site) on (08) 9222 4462.

Carers

At Osborne Park Hospital, we recognise that carers play a fundamental role in the delivery of care.

A carer is defined as someone who provides unpaid ongoing care and support to someone with a chronic illness, mental illness, disability or who is frail and includes providing palliative care.

We support the Western Australian Carers Charter as defined by the Carers Recognition Act 2004, which outlines how carers are to be treated and involved in delivering some services which impact on them.

The Western Australian Carers Charter

• Carers must be treated with respect and dignity.
• The role of carers must be recognised by including carers in the assessment, planning, delivery and review of services that impact on them and the role of carers. 
• The views and needs of carers must be taken into account along with the views, needs and best interests of people receiving care when decisions are made that impact on carers and the role of carers. 
• Complaints made by carers in relation to services that impact on them and the role of carers must be given due attention and consideration.

Carers WA is the peak body representing the needs of carers in WA and providing a wide range of support services for carers as well as education to service providers.

We support Carers WA to operate their Prepare to Care Hospital Program at KEMH. A referral can be made on behalf of a carer by email to referral@carerswa.asn.au.

Carers WA can be contacted by phone 1300 227 377, by email to info@carerswa.asn.au or via their website www.carerswa.asn.au (external site).

To find out how we can help you, please talk to the Customer Service Unit staff or one of your clinical team members.