Patient Rights at Wockhardt Hospitals in Mumbai

  • To acknowledge patient and family right and responsibilities and the hospitals’ responsibility to respond to each patient with personal dignity and respect in a trouble free environment.
  • To formulate and adopt a hospital wide policy to ensure the respect for patient’s individuality, safety, privacy and dignity; and also to support patients and family’s right to know about his/her health and illness.
  • To participate in the care process regardless of the sex, race, religion, caste, economic, educational status and the source of payment of the patient, and treat him in the least restrictive setting possible.
  • All hospital personnel, medical staff members and any contracted agency personnel performing patient care activities need to observe these patient rights.
  • All the patients availing any service at Wockhardt hospitals, will need to observe and respect the responsibilities laid out in this document.
  • Wockhardt hospitals have adopted the following Patient and family rights, and patients and family has the right to:
  • Within the capacity and scope of its mission and services, Wockhardt Hospitals –   respects and supports the patient’s right to impartial access to treatment and services that are consistent with relevant laws and regulations and medically indicated, regardless of race, creed, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, diagnosis or sources of payment for care.
  • Patients at higher than normal risk will be identified. These include but are not limited to children under 18 years of age, geriatric patients with mental or physical disability that makes them more vulnerable, mentally unsound patients, comatose patients etc.
  • Be informed of his or her rights in advance of, or when discontinuing the provision of care. At the time of the admission he/she shall indicate the “next of kin” /representative along with contact details within the admission form. Patient rights apply regardless of the sex, race, religion, caste, economic, educational status and the source of payment of the patient.  Information about ’s patient Rights and Responsibilities Policy and related services is presented to each patient or patient surrogate at the time of admission.
  • To be allowed to participate in care decisions, by getting adequate information related to planned procedures, risks, benefits, alternatives and potential complications.  After adequate information is received, the patient/next of Kin/immediate relatives need to give an informed consent as per the procedure.
  • Know the identity and professional status of individuals providing service to him/her and to know which physician or other medical practitioner is primarily responsible for his/her care.  The detail is given out to the patients at the time of admission and is available to them on request at any time at the nursing station or at the reception of.
  • Personal, visual and auditory privacy will be honored to the extent reasonable.
  • Wockhardt has adopted various measures to protect patient dignity and privacy. This is applicable in any area of the hospital (e.g.: Diagnostic services area, Cath, and cardiology labs, outpatient consultation, ambulatory, casualty area, operation theatres, intensive care units, and inpatient areas):
  • Examination of all female patients by a male doctor or nurse can only be conducted in the presence of another female attendant. This is applicable in any area of the hospital (Diagnostic services area, outpatient consultation, ambulatory, casualty area, operation theatres, intensive care units, inpatient areas). All physical examination will take place with adequate precautions to maintain the dignity and privacy of the patient.   All sensitive information is shared with patient and/or family members inside the discussion room, to ensure auditory privacy.
  • Confidentiality will be honoured within the limits of the law.  This includes the patient’s location, identity, and medical records and applies to the sharing of information within the with outside source.  The Information management system of the hospital through their procedure number ensures confidentiality and security of the patients’ medical records and other related information.
  • Receive all the information about proposed treatment or procedure needed in order to give informed consent or to refuse treatment. Except in emergencies this information shall include a description of the treatment or procedure, medically significant risks involved in the treatment, alternate course of treatment or non-treatment and the risks involved in each and to know the name of the person who will carry out the procedure or treatment.
  • Written permission of the patient is required before any medical records are made available to anyone not directly connected to his/her care. (Third party payers/corporate payers are deemed as parties directly related to patient’s medical care).
  • The patient has access to information contained in his/her medical files and can ask for copies of the same.
  • Access complete information regarding his/her diagnosis, treatment, any known prognosis, and outcomes of care including unanticipated outcomes of care.
  • The patient has a right to be informed by his/her physician or an authorized delegate of the continuing healthcare requirements following his/her discharge from the hospital.
  • Right to be informed beforehand about occurrence of any unpredictable life threatening event or untoward situation. (High risk consent)
  • The patient has a right to know which hospital rules and policies apply to his/her conduct while a patient.
  • Receive life-saving treatment without delay regardless of his/her economic status or source of payment. Should it not be an emergency, he/she has the right of safe transfer to a facility that agrees to receive and treat him/her.
  • Right to choose his / her own consulting physician.
  • Right to receive considerate and respectful care, provided in a safe environment, free from all forms of abuse or harassment
  • Easy access to the in charge doctor /sister and has a right to get detailed explanation about the medical problem, diagnosis and prognosis in the language the patient /relative understands.
  • Receive appropriate assessment and effective management of pain pertinent to his/her medical condition.
  • Get timely medication and the consultant/primary physician should visit him regularly as per the scheduled time.
  • Wockhardt hospitals,will support and encourage the patient and their family to participate and involve them in the development, decision-making and implementation of his/her medical care.
  • Be advised of the patient complaint/feedback process. (Feedback Analysis Process)
  • Patient has a right to receive full explanation and the relevance of the procedure before undergoing any of those procedure or investigation.
  • In case of any investigation to be carried out outside the hospital the hospital will make the necessary arrangements for the same.
  • Be protected from the risks of the hospital environment. Wockhardt Hospital’s Safety Committee, Infection Control committee, and Risk Management Program will seek to eliminate risks to the patient.
  • Be protected from having possessions taken away when the patient is not in a position to protect their possession/and or when any relatives or friends who can handle the personal belongings of the patient do not accompany them.  In such circumstances the person (Nurse/Customer Care/Medical staff member) handling patient, will follow Wockhardt Hospitals procedure on Safety and Patient possession (Ref SOP NSG/ADMIN/03 and SOP/CAS/01
  • Change consultant or take second opinion from another physician, consult outside physicians, or change hospitals if he wishes to do so.
  • Leave the hospital even against the advice of his/her physician
  • Refuse participation in data gathering for research as voluntary and feel free to refuse to participate without compromising access to current or future care.
  • Refuse the suggested treatment, care or services according to the laws of the land, after being informed about the consequences of such a decision.
  • To notify the nurse if you would like to limit those persons who visit you and to expect your personal privacy to be respected to the fullest extent consistent with the care prescribed for you.
  • Express spiritual and cultural beliefs provided they do not interfere with others or hospital operations.  These psychological, cultural and spiritual values will be considered in the care of the patient.
  • Wockhardt will also provide access and facilitation of services of the religious nature for the patient, should he/she want it.  The patient has the following rights:
  • To receive food of their choice as per the availability and culture of the local environment
  • Refuse the recording or filming of care and the right to request that filming or recording stop any time during the filming or recording process even if the patient gave consent.
  • Conflicts of values, principles or interest in the clinical setting will be resolved through the collaboration of the professional staff and the patient, and when appropriate, the patient’s family or other representative.  The Ethics Committee at Wockhardt Hospitals-  will provide assistance when necessary
  • Right to be protected against any nosocomial infection and medication errors.
  • Be free from mental, physical, sexual, and verbal abuse, neglect, and exploitation from staff, visitors, students, volunteers, other patients, or family members.
  • Special measures will be adopted to ensure safety and security of elderly and young patients.
  • Security department’s procedures to control unauthorized entry, security rounds to cover remote places etc., are adopted as a measure to ensure patients are free from abuse or physical assault.
  • The care and dignity of the dying patient will be honored through effective pain management, consultations with the patient and the patient’s family, and acknowledgement of psychosocial and spiritual concerns of patient and his/her family.
  • In such case, in addition to the rights mentioned before, you have the right to:
  • Expect care by staff members who are aware of and able to recognize the unique and individual needs of the dying patient.
  • Expect support provided for the social, emotional and spiritual needs of the patient and family, recognizing differences in individuals’ values, beliefs and life philosophies
  • Expect appropriate care for primary and secondary signs and symptoms that would respond to treatment, even though these symptoms may be unrelated to the “terminal” condition
  • Expect appropriate support for the patient and the family in the grief process.
  • Providing Information – The patient and family have the responsibility to provide, to the best of their knowledge, accurate and complete information about present complaints, past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications, and other matters relating to the patient’s health. They are responsible for reporting unexpected changes in the patient’s condition to the responsible practitioner.
  • Asking Questions – The patient and family are responsible for asking questions when they do not understand what they have been told about the patient’s care or what they are expected to do.
  • Following Instructions -The patient and family are responsible for following the treatment plan recommended by the practitioner primarily responsible for the patient’s care. This may include following the instructions of nurses and allied health personnel as they carry out the coordinated plan of care and implement the responsible practitioner’s orders, and as they enforce the applicable hospital rules and regulations. The patient is responsible for keeping appointments and, when he is unable to do so for any reason, for notifying the responsible practitioner or the hospital
  • Refusal of Treatment – The patient and family should understand the consequences of failing to follow the recommended course of treatment or of using other treatments. If the patient or family refuse treatment or fail to follow the practitioner’s instructions, they are responsible for the outcomes.
  • Patient Charges – The patient or his responsible party is responsible for assuring that the financial obligations of his health care are fulfilled as promptly as possible.
  • Hospital Rules and Regulations – The patient and family are responsible for following hospital rules and regulations affecting patient care and conduct.
  • Respect and Consideration – The patient and family are responsible for being considerate of the rights of other patients and hospital personnel and for assisting in the control of noise, smoking, and the number of visitors. The patient and family are responsible for being respectful of the property of other persons and of the hospital.
  • Consulting outside doctor – The patient and family is responsible for taking permission from the in-charge Doctor and Management to take the consultation of an outside doctor.
  • Consulting appointments – The patient is responsible for keeping appointments and notifying the hospital when unable to do so
  • Safety – The patient and family are equally responsible for the cleanliness of the hospital and safety of personal belongings.