Your Rights as a Client
Tackling the health gap
Ngak Min Health clinic provides an innovative family-centred model with comprehensive medical, health, mental health, allied health, and wellbeing services.
Client Rights
The Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights describes the rights of clients and other people using the health system. These rights are essential to make sure that wherever and whenever care is provided, it is of a safe standard.
- Access: You have a right to healthcare.
- Safety: You have a right to safe and high quality care, provided with professional care, skill and competence.
- Respect: You have a right to be shown respect, dignity and consideration.
- Communication: You have a right to be informed about services, treatment, options and costs in a clear, timely and open way in words you can understand.
- Participation: You have a right to be included in decisions and choices about your care.
- Privacy: You have a right to privacy and confidentiality of your personal information.
- Comment: You have a right to comment on your care and to have your concerns addressed promptly and properly.
Ryan's Rule
Ryan's Rule is a three step process to support patients of any age, their families and carers, to raise concerns if a patient’s health condition is getting worse or not improving as well as expected. Ryan’s Rule applies to all patients admitted to any Queensland Health public hospital—including the emergency department—and in some Hospital in the Home (HITH) services.
Ryan’s Rule has been developed in response to the tragic death of Ryan Saunders, who died in 2007 from an undiagnosed Streptococcal infection, which led to Toxic Shock Syndrome. When Ryan’s parents were worried he was getting worse they did not feel their concerns were acted on in time. In light of his death, the Department of Health made a commitment to introduce a patient, family, carer escalation process (Ryan’s Rule), to minimise the possibility of a similar event occurring.
Patient Feedback
- Contact us,
- Use our clinic suggestion box, located at the front counter of Ngak Min's reception or
- Post to Ngak Min Health PO Box 67, Gordonvale QLD 4865.
Management of Patient Health Information
Complaints
To provide feedback or complaints to the Ngak Min Health team, contact us and we will do our best to resolve your concerns. If we cannot resolve your concerns, or you'd like to make a complaint, patients are advised to contact the external health complaints agency as below.
Queensland Office of the Health Ombudsman
Telephone: 133 646
Web: www.oho.qld.gov.au
Complaints that relate to privacy issues or concerns that cannot be resolved internally are to be directed to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
Telephone: 1300 363 992
Postal Address: GPO Box 5218, Sydney NSW 2001
Web: www.oaic.gov.au
Members of the public may make a notification to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) - www.ahpra.gov.au - about the conduct, health or performance of a practitioner or the health of a student. Practitioners, employers, and education providers are all mandated by law to report notifiable conduct relating to a registered practitioner or student to AHPRA.
Resources
