Patient/Client Rights and Responsibilities

Respecting the rights and responsibilities of all patients/clients.

The Grand Bend Area Community Health Centre is committed to providing responsible and compassionate care, programs, and services that respect the rights and responsibilities of patient/clients.

Each individual has the right:

To be treated with dignity, courtesy and respect in a manner that fully recognizes their dignity and individuality without discrimination.
To privacy and confidentiality in all matters.
To be treated in a safe and secure environment.
To know who is responsible for their care and who is providing their treatment.
To be informed of their medical condition, treatment and proposed course of treatment.
To participate in making any decision and in obtaining another opinion in any aspect of their care.

To give or refuse consent to treatment, including medications, and to be informed of the possible outcomes of giving or refusing consent.
To have a designate in place to receive information concerning patient/client care.
To have access to the information retained in their patient/client file, except when it is reasonable to believe that such access would result in a substantial risk to the physical, mental or emotional health of the patient/client or harm a third party.
To be aware of the procedures for initiating a complaint

Patient arm using a blood-pressure machine

Each individual has responsibilities:

To keep appointments to the best of their ability or cancel them in a timely fashion (24-hours notice is preferred.)
To arrive 10 minutes before a scheduled appointment with their health card and forms ready for registration.
To follow mutually agreed upon treatment plans.
To let their health care provider (physician, nurse practitioner, social worker, therapist) know if they are no longer following treatment plans.
To share important information necessary for care including the use of outside health care providers.

To follow community group guidelines developed for healthy group interactions.
To refrain from intoxication or from being under the influence of any prohibited substance(s) when visiting the GBACHC.
To respect the professional relationship with GBACHC health care providers and program leaders.
To be rostered to only one primary care provider at a time.
To behave in a respectful and non-threatening manner towards staff and other patients/clients of the GBACHC whether on the phone or in person.