Your legal rights as a health consumer are based on two basic rights:

1. the right to give or withhold your informed consent to treatment
2. the right to receive competent care from health service providers.

You have the right to:

• be treated with care, consideration and decency
• clear explanations and information
• ask questions about the service, any proposed procedures, and its risks, benefits and alternative treatments
• be given time to understand the information provided
• be informed about the costs of treatment(s)
• be informed if the procedure is experimental or part of research
• ask for a second opinion
• choose a health care establishment
• give informed consent about treatment and withdraw consent at any time
• appoint someone to make decisions on your behalf if you cannot make those decisions yourself
• leave the hospital at any time - except in the case of some infectious diseases or psychiatric conditions
• confidentiality of personal records
• complain if you are not happy
• redress in the event of injury
• have access to your medical records

International Health Rigths

Older Person's Statement of Rights

Public Hospital Charter Rights

Rights - Consent to Medical Treatment

Rights - MH Act, Patients of Psychiatrist