Skip Ribbon Commands
Skip to main content
Menu

Patient's Rights and Responsibilities

We respect the rights of all our patients. In return, we ask that you co-operate with us by fulfilling your responsibilities. Please approach our staff if you need any assistance.

As a CGH patient, you have the right to:

1. Be treated with dignity and respect
  • Receive appropriate and professional healthcare regardless of your age, gender, race, religion, nationality, social status, and physical or mental disabilities.
  • Meet and talk with family, friends and other visitors during visiting hours unless advised otherwise by your doctor or unless such rights are restricted in accordance with prevailing guidelines such as those implemented to control the transmission of infectious diseases. You also have the right to refuse visitors.
  • Make an Advance Medical Directive* or to appoint a representative to make your healthcare decisions. The hospital will respect your known wishes, to the extent permitted by the law and the hospital.
  • Receive a detailed explanation about any research study that you may be invited to participate in. You may refuse to participate in or withdraw from any research study without affecting the level of care you receive.
2. Receive information and explanations about your medical condition by your healthcare providers
  • Be informed about your medical condition, treatment options, and possible outcome in a language that you understand (where possible).
  • Be informed about the possible risks, side effects and alternative methods of treatment.
  • Be provided with the necessary information to make a meaningful decision.
  • Be informed of unwanted or unanticipated treatment outcomes.
  • Have access to healthcare personnel and information about health education, self-care and prevention of illness.
  • Be able to clarify any procedure being carried out for you

3. Participate in decisions involving your medical condition

  • Participate in decisions involving your medical condition and potential treatment.
  • Seek a second medical opinion.
  • Refuse medical care or recommended treatment to the extent permitted by law. However, in refusing treatment, you will have to accept the responsibility for any medical consequences resulting from your decision. (These consequences will be explained to you).
  • Give consent to procedures that are not part of routine investigations.
4. Know the names and roles of your healthcare providers
  • Know the names and the roles of the doctor/s and healthcare staff in charge of your treatment and care.
5. Confidentiality and privacy of your medical information
  • Have your medical information at the hospital kept private and confidential. Except where required by law, it is against our hospital’s policy to share your medical information with anyone else not involved with your care without your permission.
  • Have your medical information accessed only by those involved in your care and those monitoring the quality of medical services. All information regarding your care will be kept confidential.
  • A discharge summary will be given in accordance to the hospital’s policy.
  • Have your medical records kept in a safe and protected environment.

6. Be aware of estimated costs for investigations, procedures and treatments

7. Give us feedback

  • We welcome and appreciate feedback on areas of improvement.
  • The level of service and care provided by the hospital will not be compromised regardless of the feedback received.

Your responsibilities are to:

1. Provide complete and accurate information about yourself

  • Provide complete and accurate information relevant to your health, including present medical conditions, medications, past illness and previous hospitalisations.
  • Notify the hospital and the healthcare staff about specific decisions you may have taken, for example, with regards to the continuation of medical treatment.
  • Inform the doctor(s) of any changes in your health status. You should also inform our healthcare staff if you have any other specific concerns about your condition.
  • Permit the hospital to obtain your medical records from other hospitals and clinics.
  • Inform our staff when you leave the hospital against medical advice from our Emergency Department or wards.
2. Follow the doctor’s recommended treatment plan
  • Follow the doctor’s treatment plan, and inform us if you face any difficulty in following the plan.
  • While warded, take only medications served by our nurses. Do not self-administer your home medications without informing our nurses or doctors. In addition, provide our healthcare staff with information on your current medications, including over the counter medications, vitamins and supplements.
  • Tell us if you have any concerns about the treatment or if you have deviated from the treatment plan in any way.
  • Although you have the right to refuse the recommended treatment, you should consider the consequences and alternatives carefully.
3. Show respect and consideration to our staff and patients
  • Respect the privacy of our patients.
  • Show respect and consideration to our staff. Any abuse of healthcare workers, whether verbal or physical, will not be accepted.
  • Be punctual for your appointments. If you need to cancel your appointment, please let us know early.
  • Follow the hospital’s policies.
  • Be responsible for your own belongings and refrain from bringing valuables to the hospital.

4. Abide by all hospital rules and regulations pertaining to patients and visitors

  • These include official discharge times, visiting hours and designated public/ visitor areas.

5. Treat the hospital’s properties and facilities with care and responsibility

6. Ensure your hospital bills are paid

  • If you have difficulty paying these bills, please consult our medical social workers for help.

* Advance Medical Directive: A legal document that you sign in advance to inform the doctor/s treating you (in the event that you become terminally ill and unconscious) that you do not want any extraordinary life-sustaining treatment to be used to prolong your life.

Organ Donation

Transplantation is a process whereby a healthy organ from a donor is placed into the body of a patient with organ failure. It is often the only hope for people suffering from organ failure. The organs for transplantation may be obtained from living donors or deceased persons. You can pledge to donate your organs. While it is a personal decision, you should discuss this with your loved ones so that they are aware of your wishes.

The Human Organ Transplant Act (HOTA) allows for the kidneys, heart, liver and corneas to be removed in the event of death from any cause for the purpose of transplantation. The HOTA applies to ALL Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents 21 years old and above, who are of sound mind, unless they have opted out.

The Medical (Therapy, Education and Research) Act (MTERA) is, on the other hand, an opt-in scheme, where people who are not covered under HOTA, as well as people who wish to pledge any organ / tissue not covered by HOTA, can pledge their organs or any other body parts for the purposes of transplant, education or research after they pass away.

The regulation of living-donor transplantations (i.e. the removal of organs from a living donor for transplantation into a patient) has also been placed under the purview of HOTA since 2004. A living donor need not be related to the patient, but the organ transplant must satisfy the two major professional and ethical concerns. The donor must thoroughly understand the nature and consequence of the medical procedures, and have given his or her consent. Furthermore, there must not be any emotional coercion or financial inducement to donate an organ.

For more information on HOTA, MTERA and living-donor organ transplantation in Singapore, please refer to the Ministry of Health’s “Live On” website, at www.liveon.sg.