The Charter for Hospitalised Patients

• Everyone is free to choose the healthcare establishment that will care for them, within the scope of its possibilities. The public hospital service is accessible to all and in particular to the most disadvantaged, and in the event of an emergency, to those people not covered by social security.
  It is adapted for people with disabilities.
• Healthcare establishments guarantee the quality of treatments and care given. They pay particular attention to pain relief and make every effort to ensure the human dignity of each person.
• Information given to patients must be accessible and reliable. The patient participates in therapeutic choices that affect him/her.
  The patient may be assisted by the healthcare proxy freely chosen by him/her.
• A medical procedure may only be carried out with the patient’s free and informed consent. The patient is entitled to refuse any treatment. Any adult may express their wishes with regards to end-of-life procedures in duly established advance healthcare directives.
• Specific consent is required from patients participating in biomedical research, for donating and using parts and products of the human body and for screening procedures.
• A patient to whom a proposition to participate in biomedical research is made must especially be informed of the expected benefits and foreseeable risks. The patient’s agreement is given in writing. Refusal will have no consequence on the quality of the patient’s treatments.
• Apart from situations provided for by law, hospitalised patient may leave the establishment at any time after being informed of the possible risks involved.
• The hospitalised person is treated with consideration. His or her beliefs are respected. He or she must be ensured privacy, and peace and quiet.
• Respect for the private life of every hospitalised patient is guaranteed, as is confidentiality of personal, administrative, medical and social information that concerns the patient.
• The hospitalised person (or his/her legal representatives) has direct access to the information concerning his/her health. Under certain conditions, in the event of death the patient’s beneficiaries also enjoy this same right.
• The hospitalised patient can express his/her views on the treatments and care provided.
  In each establishment, a commission for relations with users and the quality of care given ensures that the rights of users are respected.
  Every patient has the right to be heard by a manager of the establishment to express his/her grievances and request compensation for harm to which he/she believes he/she has been subjected within the context of an amicable settlement procedure for disputes and/or before the courts.

The complete Charter for Hospitalised Patients is accessible on the Internet website www.sante.gouv.fr

It can also be obtained free of charge, immediately, on simple request from the Center’s admissions service.