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This chapter contains relevant extracts from the Patient's Charter for England, with a few minor amendments where appropriate.

You have the right to:

Receive health care on the basis of your clinical need, not your ability to pay, your lifestyle or any other factor;
Be referred to a consultant acceptable to you, when your GP thinks it is necessary, and to be referred for a second opinion if you and your GP think this is desirable;
Choose whether or not you want to take part in medical research or medical student training;
Have any proposed treatment, including any risks involved in that treatment and any alternatives, clearly explained to you before you decide whether to agree to it;
Have access to your health records, and to know that everyone working for the NHS is under a legal duty to keep your records confidential;
Have any complaint about NHS services (whoever provides them) investigated to get a quick, full written reply from the relevant chief executive or general manager. The new complaints procedure means this will be within four weeks;
Receive detailed information on services. This includes information on the standards of service you can expect and waiting times;
To be told before you go into hospital whether it is planned to care for you in a ward for men and women;

You can expect:

The NHS to make it easy for everyone to use its services, including children, elderly people or people with physical or mental disabilities;
All the staff you meet face to face to wear name badges;
The NHS to respect your privacy, dignity and religious and cultural beliefs at all times and in all places. For example, meals should suit your dietary and religious needs. Staff should ask you whether you want to be called by your first or last name and respect your preference;
Your operation not to be cancelled on the day you are due to go into hospital or after you have gone in. If it is, (for example because the hospital is dealing with the victims of a major road traffic accident), you can expect to be admitted again within one month of the cancellation;
To be given a specific appointment time and be seen within 30 minutes of that time;
Your relatives and friends to be kept up to date with the progress of your treatment, if you agree;
Single sex washing and toilet facilities;
To be given a written explanation of the hospital's patient food, nutrition and health policy and the catering services and standards you can expect during your stay;
To have a choice of dishes, including meals suitable for all dietary needs;
To have to order no more than your next 2 meals in advance;
To have a choice of the size of portion you want;
You are given the name of the catering manager;
You have help, if you need it, to use the catering services; for example, menus printed in other languages and large print. This help should be readily available.
Enquiry points and clear signposting to help you and your visitors to find your way around;
To be cared for in an environment which is clean and safe;
Reasonable measures to be taken for your personal protection and safety;
To have facilities to keep personal money and belongings safe;
A decision to be made, before you are discharged from hospital, on how to meet any needs you may continue to have. Your hospital will agree arrangements with agencies such as community nursing services and local authority social services departments. You and, if you agree, your carers will be involved in making these decisions and kept up to date with information at all stages;
Waiting times for taking you home after you have been treated if your doctor says you have a medical need for NHS transport;
Your hospital to display information on the Patient's Charter including local standards and whether they are meeting them;
Your hospital to make it clear how you can complain or make comments and suggestions while you are in hospital;
Your hospital to publish regularly details of the number of complaints they have received and the time they took to deal with them.