Clients of Leichhardt Women’s Community Health Centre have the right to:
- be treated with dignity and respect
- make their own health care decisions after receiving a range of information that is easy to understand
- receive clear information about the range of services, waiting, times proposed plan and expected outcomes and the responsibilities of their health worker
- receive their health care in privacy
- request to read their own file in the presence of the relevant health worker and add comments to it if they wish
- use an interpreter service
- confidentiality. Information clients tell their LWCHC health workers about themselves or others will not be available to anyone who is not involved in their health care, unless the client provides consent, it is required by law or the client’s safety or that of another person is at risk.
- accept or refuse the centre’s services including to:
- choose not to treat an issue or condition
- withdraw their consent at any time
- decline services from a particular health worker
- decline care from students
- decline to take part in research
- seek a second opinion
- transfer their health care to another health worker or agency
- make a complaint, suggestion or comment about any aspect of the service they’ve received
Clients have the responsibility to:
- know their own personal / health history and provide, to the best of their knowledge, accurate and complete information about their health history, medications and other matters related to their health
- use prescribed treatments and instructions as advised or discuss with the health worker if they are unhappy or unwilling to do so
- ask questions about their health issue and its management
- be on time for appointments, or telephone the centre if they are unable to keep an appointment
- come prepared for their appointment
- tell the health worker they are seeing if they seeking advice from someone else for the same issue
- respect the rights of other people in the centre
- respect the role and dignity of staff and their right to a safe and pleasant work environment
- accept the results of their decisions about their health care choices
- make a complaint, suggestion or comment about any aspect of the service they’ve received
Limiting and Withdrawing Service
The Centre has the right to limit and/or withdraw service on the grounds of professional judgement, service availability, worker or client safety and wellbeing and the failure of a client to adhere to the responsibilities listed above.
