Rights & Responsibilities
Your Responsibilities as a Consumer
You have the responsibility to:
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Work with your treating team by providing relevant information about your health and circumstances that may influence your treatment or recovery while receiving GSHS services.
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Respect and be courteous towards GSHS staff and other consumers, including compliance with GSHS’s policy of not tolerating any form of violence, either verbal or physical.
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Assist in the provision of a safe environment for staff and assist staff to provide for you in a safe manner.
Service Provider Responsibilities
As well as the responsibilities set out in the Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights, GSHS also has a responsibility to:
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Enhance and respect your independence and dignity.
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Ensure your access to services is decided only on the basis of need and the capacity of the service to meet that need.
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Inform you about options for support in relation to services in the community eg. Home and Community Care (HACC) services.
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Inform you about your rights and responsibilities in relation to all services.
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Recognise the role of carers and be responsive to their need for support, allowing the carer access to information held by GSHS about you, where the carer is the legal guardian or has been so authorised you.
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Inform you of the standards to expect in relation to services you may receive.
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Allow you access to information held by GSHS.
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Ensure that you continue to receive services agreed with the GSHS, taking your changing needs into account.
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Provide services to you in a safe manner.
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Ensure that you continue to receive services agreed with the GSHS, taking your changing needs into account.
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Provide services to you in a safe manner.
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Respect your refusal of a service and to ensure any future attempt by you to access a service is not prejudiced because of that refusal.
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Deal with your complaints fairly and promptly and without retribution.
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Mediate and attempt to negotiate a solution if conflict arises between the carer and yourself.
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Accept your choice and involvement of an advocate to represent your interests.
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Take into account your views when planning, managing and evaluating treatment, care and service provision.
For more information on the Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights go to the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care website: http://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/national-priorities/charter-of-healthcare-rights/
Your Rights as a Consumer
There are 7 basic rights under the Australian Charter of Health Rights, which every consumer has a right to expect:
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Access - You have a right to health care and can access services to address your healthcare needs.
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Safety - You have a right to receive safe and high quality care, provided by professionals with skill and competence.
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Respect - You have a right to be shown respect, dignity and consideration. The care provided shows respect to you, your culture, beliefs, values and personal characteristics.
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Communication - You have a right to be informed about services, treatment, options and costs in a clear and open way. Communication with you is open, timely, appropriate and understandable.
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Participation - You have a right to be included in decisions and choices about your care and about health service planning
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Privacy - You have a right to privacy and confidentiality of your personal information, including information about your health.
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Comment - You have a right to comment on your care and to have your concerns addressed properly and promptly.
Further Links
Family Violence Position Statement