Patient rights and responsibilities: charter

Part 3: How can I find out more?

For information about health rights

See the following leaflets and factsheets:

• Your health your rights factsheets tell you more about what the rights and responsibilities in this Charter mean for you. Each of the seven factsheets (access, communication and participation, confidentiality, respect, safety, waiting times, and comments and complaints) includes information for NHS staff.
• Consent - it's your decision explains how you should be involved in decisions about your health care and treatment.
• Confidentiality - it's your right explains how the NHS in Scotland keeps your personal health information private.
• How to see your health records explains your right to see or have a copy of your health record.
• Health care for overseas visitors is a set of factsheets explaining what NHS services overseas visitors can expect to receive when they are in Scotland.
• Making a complaint about the NHS tells you how to complain using the NHS complaints procedure.

Information for young people

• Consent - your rights explains how you should be involved in decisions about your health care and treatment.
• Confidentiality - your rights tells you how the health service keeps information about you private.
• Have your say! Your right to be heard tells you how to give feedback or make a complaint about the NHS.

Information for carers

• Caring and consent explains the rights of people who cannot consent to medical treatment and the rights of their carers.

You can get these leaflets and factsheets about health rights from:

• GP surgeries, hospitals and other places where you receive NHS services
• www.nhsinform.co.uk
• the NHS inform Helpline on 0800 22 44 88 (lines are open every day from 8am to 10pm).

Information for NHS staff:

http://www.knowledge.scot.nhs.uk/making-a-difference/making-a-difference/patient-rights-scotland-act-2011.aspx

 For information about NHS services in Scotland:

• contact NHS inform for details of all pharmacies, GP practices and dental practices in Scotland, and information about illnesses and conditions, treatments, NHS services and other support services

• - phone the NHS inform Helpline on 0800 22 44 88 (textphone 18001 0800 22 44 88; the helpline also provides an interpreting service). Lines are open every day from 8am to 10pm.
• - website www.nhsinform.co.uk

• visit the How to use the health service in Scotland website (go to www.how-to-use-the-nhs.com) for a simple guide to NHS services in Scotland and how to use them.
• see the leaflet eHealth - using computers to improve your healthcare for more about how eHealth will affect the service you receive from the NHS, how your information will be stored and shared safely and legally and what may happen in the future. It is available on the internet (go to www.nhsinform.co.uk).
• see the leaflet Hospital Appointments & Waiting Times Explained for information about how hospital appointments and admissions are arranged. It is available from the Scottish Government website (go to http://www.nhsinform.co.uk).
• for information about services available at your local pharmacy, see the leaflets: The NHS Minor Ailment Service at your local pharmacy and The Chronic Medication Service at your local pharmacy (this service is for people with a long-term condition). The leaflets are available from the Scottish Government website (go to www.scotland.gov.uk).

For information, help and advice

• For independent help and advice you can speak to someone at the independent Patient Advice and Support Service (PASS).
  www.cas.org.uk/Projects/patientadvice

• For more about the rights of people with mental illness, learning disability, dementia or other mental welfare, contact:

To view a copy of the Patient Rights (Scotland) Act 2011, as published

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2011/5/contents

To view documents related to the progress of the Patient Rights (Scotland) Act 2011

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/PatientRightsBill/UsefulLinks

Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland

Thistle House, 91 Haymarket Terrace, Edinburgh EH12 5HE

Phone 0800 389 6809 (freephone number for service users and carers)

Email enquiries@mwcscot.org.uk

Website www.mwcscot.org.uk

• For more about how your personal health information is used and protected contact:

Information Commissioner's Office (Scotland)

45 Melville Street, Edinburgh EH3 7HL

Phone 0131 244 9001

Email Scotland@ico.gsi.org.uk

Website http://www.ico.org.uk

• If the NHS in Scotland has fully investigated your complaint and you are still not happy, you can contact:

Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO)

Freepost EH641, Edinburgh EH3 0BR

Phone 0800 377 7330

Email ask@spso.org.uk

Website www.spso.org.uk

• To join the NHS Organ Donor Register:

Phone 0300 123 23 23

Text SAVE to 84118

Visit www.uktransplant.org.uk and complete the online form

For information about standards

• To find out about the Healthcare Environment Inspectorate and how to contact them, visit the Healthcare Improvement Scotland website (go to www.healthcareimprovementscotland.org).
• To find out about how decisions are made before medicines can be routinely prescribed by NHS doctors in Scotland, see the leaflet: New medicines in Scotland - who decides what the NHS can provide? It is available from the Scottish Government website (go to www.scotland.gov.uk).

(The Scottish Government is not responsible for the content of the external links. They are provided for information only, and are not part of the Charter.)