Ministerstvo zdravotnictví České Republiky

Ethical code of patient rights

1. A patient has a right to considerate and professional health care provided by qualified workers with sensitivity.
2. A patient has a right to know the name of the physician and other health personnel treating him or her. They have a right to privacy and services in line with the capacities of the institution, as well as the possibility to meet daily members of their family or friends. This right for “continual visits” can be limited only for serious concerns.
3. A patient has a right to obtain from the physician information necessary to decide before the start of every new diagnostics or therapeutic procedure whether they consent to it. With the exception of acute threat the patient should be duly informed about possible risks related with the procedure. If there are several alternatives and if the patient requires information on alternative treatment, he or she has the right to know them as well as the names of persons involved in them.
4. A patient has a right to refuse treatment to an extent permitted by law as well as to be informed about health consequences of the decision made.
5. In the course of outpatient and inpatient examination and treatment a patient has a right to maximum privacy in connection with the treatment programme. Analyses of his or her case, consultations and treatment are confidential issues and must be performed discreetly. Presence of persons who are not directly involved in the treatment have to be agreed with the patient, which is valid also for university facilities, when these persons have not been selected by the patient.
6. A patient has a right to expect that all reports and records concerning their treatment are treated as confidential. Safety of this information must be also secured while processing it electronically.
7. A patient has a right to expect the hospital to comply as much as possible and reasonably with the patient’s request to a degree corresponding to the nature of the disease. If necessary, the patient may be transferred to another health care facility, nevertheless, full justification and information on the necessity of this transfer should be provided together with information on all other existing alternatives. The facility, where the patient is to be transferred, also has to approve the transfer first.
8. A patient has a right to expect that the treatment will be conducted with reasonable continuity.
   He or she has the right to know in advance which physicians, in which office hours and at what place they are at his or her disposal. Upon release the patient has the right to expect the hospital to set the procedure for his or her physician to provide information on the subsequent treatment.
9. A patient has a right to a detailed and understandable explanation even if a physician has decided to follow a non-standard procedure or experiment. A conscious written consent of the patient is a prerequisite for launching both therapeutic and non-therapeutic research. A patient may withdraw from an experiment at any time without giving a reason after having been informed about possible consequences of such a decision.
10. A patient with terminal illness has a right to sensitive care from all health personnel who must respect his or her wishes provided they do not violate the law.
11. A patient has a right and duty to know and follow the rules of the health care facility where he is treated (hospital rules) and the right to check his account and ask for explanation of its items regardless of who pays the account.

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