Quality health care protects rights of patients

At Wyatt Ryan Dental, we want our patients to feel empowered through their dental visits and treatment.

Our patients play an active role in decision making when it comes to their oral hygiene care. They deserve quality rights when it comes to dental care and we, as passionate and experienced dentists, work hard to make sure we meet their needs and expectations.

When it comes patient expectations and questions about health care, our resources page has a range of useful links. And one of them centres on the key rights of patients using Australian health care services.

The Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights is based around a set of pillars – access, respect, safety, participation, communication and comment. It’s all about ensuring the nation has the best possible health care services, for both patients and staff.

The charter states all people have the right to health care that’s adequate, timely and safe, where they’re treated with respect, consideration and dignity, kept informed and included in health care decisions. The charter also covers areas including privacy and confidentiality when it comes to any information staff receive during the course of the health care journey. The right to comment – and have any complaints heard – is another key part of the charter.

The charter, which clearly spells out the rights of a patient, is an important framework in helping shape Australia’s health care system. When you go to a dentist clinic, a medical practice, see a physio or prepare for a stay in a hospital, you want the best possible care there is. You also want to be kept informed and be a key player in the decision-making process.

So read the charter and know your rights. It’s also important to treat health care staff with respect and dignity too – it is a two-way street to achieving high-standard health care.

At Wyatt Ryan Dental, we understand dental care is a partnership between dentist and patient. By working together respectfully we can achieve the best possible dental outcome for patients young and old.

Please contact our experienced dentists today if you need to make an appointment.