PATIENTS RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
We value you as a patient of WHM and feel it is important that you are fully aware of your rights and also your responsibilities.
WHM encourages all our patients to carefully read the following information. If you have any queries or concerns please reach out to a member of our WHM team and we’ll endeavour to ensure your comprehensive understanding.
Our goal is to deliver consistently the highest level of care and service quality to reliability meet and hopefully exceed our patients needs and expectations. We also endeavour to meet the high expectations of our valued referrers (medical, allied health and client word of mouth).
YOUR RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES: A GUIDE FOR PATIENTS
I’D LOVE TO UNDERSTAND MY RIGHTS AS A PATIENT
Here are a list of your rights as a WHM patient:
Access to high quality healthcare treatments and services that meets your needs
To be cared for in a safe clinical environment
To be always treated with dignity and respect
To have your choices, beliefs, culture, identity and autonomy acknowledged respectfully.
To be afforded safe, high quality health care consistent with Australian national standards
To ask questions and have these answered through honest, open communication
To be involved in a shared decision making process with your doctor or allied healthcare specialist as much as possible.
To be accompanied by a support person at most times when this is desired.
To include support people that you want with you in planning and important decision-making
To be provided with clear information about your condition, possible benefits and risks of different investigations and treatment options, so that informed consent may be given.
To receive information about WHM services, waiting times where applicable and costs
To be provided with assistance when needed to understand and access your health information
To be told if something has gone wrong during your health care journey, how any adverse event has happened, how it might affect you and what is being done to make future care as safe as possible.
Respect for your personal privacy
Privacy and confidentiality for your personal and health information, with limited legal exceptions in accordance with the laws of Victoria and Australia.
To be provide feedback or make a complaint about an aspect of your care without it affecting the way you are treated.
To have your concerns addressed transparently and in a timely manner
To share your experiences, positive, neutral and negative and participate to improve our quality of care and health services
To be provided with information about which WHM team members are responsible for your care
To seek a second opinion if you wish. If desired, we are often able to provide this option for you within our WHM team of elite specialists at any time you feel it may benefit your care.
To access to an interpreter where English is not your first language.
To decline or refuse treatment and services offered to you
To access to your health records according to the law, provided written consent is provided. We may recommend review with a WHM doctor prior to providing you with test results so that your understanding is assured.
PATIENTS ALSO HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES
WHM is a respectful multidisciplinary medical practice. Respect is a two way street.
All patients and support people at WHM are responsible for their own behaviour. As a patient, you are also responsible for your care.
We ask that you honestly and openly:
Inform all WHM team members involved in your care of your expectations
Alert WHM staff if a problem occurs
Understand the details of your care plan prior to treatment. You must ask questions if you are ever unsure.
Provide WHM staff with accurate, up-to-date information about your health and your current treatments, both with our WHM team and in any aspect of your medical care outside of our practice.
It is always important to:
Read the patient information materials provided to you both by WHM and our IVF unit provider Life Fertility Clinic Melbourne if you are a patient of both organisations.
Inform WHM if your medical conditions change
Endeavour to follow your prescribed treatment exactly as instructed and as your treatment plan intended.
To be kind and considerate in your interactions with WHM staff and our other patients
To attend your scheduled appointments, as these are important to your care. If your specialists has asked you to attend a review consultation, you are responsible to make time to meet with your specialist. Most appointments will have associated costs and relevant Medicare rebates. These have been outlined for you in your WHM welcome pack and informed financial consent documents.
WHM is a private clinic. It is your responsibility to read and understand information provided to you about appointment and treatment costs. In attending care at WHM, you are required to be responsible for treatment costs.
If you need to change and appointment, it is your responsibility to inform WHM staff with adequate advance notice or our late cancellation policy will apply.
For any surgeries, payment may be required in advance of your procedure.
Ensure you have a current referral to your WHM specialist and provide a copy of this to WHM.