Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights

The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care has announced that Australian Health Ministers yesterday endorsed the Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights and its use as the pre-eminent healthcare charter for Australia.

The Charter, developed after wide consultation, specifies the key rights of patients and consumers when seeking and receiving healthcare services. These are Access, Safety, Respect, Communication, Participation, Privacy and Comment.

The Charter provides information about the rights of patients and consumers to underpin the provision of safe and high quality care, and to support a shared understanding of the rights of people receiving care.