Your rights as a patient Rights and options

In Region Zealand, we place great Be aware that the waiting time enti- emphasis on providing you with infor- tlement of 30 days will cease to apply mation and advice on your illness and when you exercise your right to free treatment in clear and understandable choice of hospital. language. If you have any questions, you are always welcome to speak to a A hospital may also have to refuse to member of staff at the hospital. admit patients from other regions if the hospital does not have sufficient Free choice of hospital capacity to receive new patients. If you are referred for investigation, treatment or a diagnostic examination at Right to prompt investigation a hospital, you are entitled to free choice When you are referred to a hospital, you of hospital in Denmark. This means that are entitled to be seen within 30 days. you can choose the public hospital at In other words, the hospital must clarify which you will receive care. The right to what is wrong with you within 30 days. free choice of hospital applies for the du- ration of your care pathway. You must If it is not technically possible to see ensure that the examination or treat- you within 30 days, the hospital must ment you need to receive is available at prepare a plan for your care pathway the public hospital that you wish to use. going forwards.

If you are admitted to an emergency If the hospital cannot see you within department without being referred, you 30 days due to a lack of capacity, you will be taken to an emergency hospital. are entitled to be referred to another After receiving emergency treatment at hospital (public or private) with which that hospital, you will have free choice Region Zealand cooperates (cooperative of hospital. hospital).

2 REGION ZEALAND If the cooperative hospital also cannot to wait more than 30 days to be seen see you within 30 days, you are enti- at the region’s hospitals or the hospi- tled to use the extended free choice tals with which the region cooperates of hospital. This means that you may (cooperative hospitals). choose a private agreement hospital.

Hospital treatment Calculation of your waiting time If you need to wait more than 30 days occurs from the date on which the for treatment at one of the region’s hospital receives your referral. hospitals or one of the hospitals with which the region cooperates (cooper- A cooperative hospital is ative hospital), you are entitled to use a hospital with which Region the extended free choice of hospital Zealand cooperates. They can (private agreement hospital). It is the be both public and private. hospital that assesses when you will Find cooperative hospitals at be seen and which treatment you can www.regionsjaelland.dk/sasy be offered. An agreement hospital is a Diagnostic examination private hospital or clinic that has If your GP or a specialist has referred an agreement with the Danish you for a diagnostic examination at Regions. Be aware that there are the hospital (e.g. X-ray or scan) that agreement hospitals for all in- they will use in their investigation or vestigation and treatment areas. treatment, you are entitled to use the Find private agreement hospitals extended free choice of hospital (pri- at www.sygehusvalg.dk vate agreement hospitals) if you have

REGION ZEALAND 3 Maximum waiting times for the If the hospital cannot observe the cancer and cardiac areas waiting time, the hospital must If it is suspected that or if you have investigate your options for quicker life-threatening cancer or certain assessment and treatment in other heart diseases, special rules apply locations in Denmark or abroad. to the maximum waiting times for investigation and treatment. You can read more about maximum waiting times at www.regionsjaelland.dk/ret

Care abroad In some cases you may be treated abroad or have reason to submit an application to Region Zealand for prior approval of reimbursement of treatment costs in another EU/EEA country.

Read more at www.regionsjaelland.dk/ret

Patient Advice can help you with further information. Find contact information on page 11.

4 REGION ZEALAND Getting to and from the hospital

Ideally you should arrange your own transport to and from the hospital.

You are entitled to be driven to and from the hospital if an assessment of your health determines that you are unable to use public transport. The staff at the hospital or your GP will assess your health.

In some cases, you will be entitled to a refund of travel expenses to and from the hospital. The amount will Read more about the rules and be calculated based on the price of see what you are entitled to at the cheapest public transport. www.regionsjaelland.dk/transport

Be aware that special rules apply for There you can also find contact transport when you exercise your information for Befordringsservice, right to free choice of or extended which is responsible for transporting free choice of hospital, or if you are patients in Region Zealand. treated abroad.

REGION ZEALAND 5 Right to decide, consent and other information about your care pathway

As a patient, you have the right to authority over you must consent to receive information on your inves- you being treated. tigation, diagnosis and treatment options, and on the risk of complica- The healthcare professionals will assess tions and side effects. You will also whether you are in a position to give receive information on the potential consent yourself. If you are unable to consequences if you do not want understand the consequences of your treatment. You may decline the offer decision, the person who has parental of information about your illness. authority over you must consent on your behalf. In very exceptional Right to decide and consent situations, the information given to You are entitled to decide on and your parents may be restricted. consent to examinations and treat- ment from the age of 15 years. In Your health information life-threatening situations where you The hospital staff have a duty of confi- are not in a position to consent, the dentiality as regards your illness and doctor may provide immediate treat- personal circumstances. This duty of ment without first obtaining consent confidentiality also applies in respect from you or your relatives. of your relatives. You decide who is to be given information about your If you are between 15 and 17 years health circumstances. of age, your parents will normally be informed of and involved in your Healthcare professionals will normally treatment. If you are under 15 years forward information to other health- of age, the person who has parental care professionals who will continue

6 REGION ZEALAND your treatment. For example, if you are transferred to another department or another hospital for treatment, the necessary information will be forwarded to them.

Your GP will be informed of your treatment at the hospital. If you do not want this, you must tell the Healthcare contact person hospital staff. If you also do not All patients admitted for more than want information about your health 48 hours and patients who have circumstances to be collected or visited as an outpatient more than forwarded, you may ask for this not twice will be given a healthcare contact to be done. In that case, the staff will person. The contact person will inform you of the consequences that ensure that there is continuity in your this may have for your treatment. treatment and that you as a patient receive the information that you need. If you require an interpreter The healthcare professionals will If you have any questions relating to endeavour to ensure that you have your care pathway, you are always an interpreter at your disposal welcome to ask your contact person. if they decide that you require a If your contact person is not present, sign-language or foreign-language someone else will answer your interpreter. Read more at questions. www.regionsjaelland.dk/tolkning

REGION ZEALAND 7 After your treatment

Your medical records relative has been injured or exposed You can view your medical records to unnecessary risk. This will enable at www.sundhed.dk. These include us to improve and ensure that other the health data that the government patients are not exposed to the same has on record for you. You must be at risk while being treated by the Danish least 15 years of age and have a NemID healthcare system. You can report an to view your medical records. You incident at www.dpsd.dk cannot amend or correct your medical records. If you wish to obtain a copy of your records from the hospital, please contact the staff.

Help us to improve Many people have dealings with the Danish healthcare system every day. Although we try our best, sometimes patients have care pathways that are not satisfactory. For example, a patient may be injured or exposed to unnec- essary risk. It is important for the hospital to be aware of such events.

Report an incident As a patient or relative, you may report any incidents if you wish to make us aware that you or your

8 REGION ZEALAND Complaints and compensation

We recommend that you contact the staff if you are dissatisfied with some- thing in your care pathway. If you have had an experience in connection with your care pathway in the Danish healthcare system about which you wish to complain, you can always contact Patient Advice for impartial advice about You can find out more about your op- your options for filing a complaint. tions for making a complaint and how to make a complaint at www.stps.dk. If you wish to make a complaint about your treatment In connection with complaints about There are two options available to you your treatment, you will be offered a if you wish to make a complaint about meeting with relevant healthcare pro- your treatment in the Danish health- fessionals within four weeks of Region care system: Zealand receiving your complaint from 1. If your complaint is about a specific the Danish Patient Safety Authority. healthcare professional’s healthcare Whether or not you accept such an offer treatment is of course your choice. This scheme 2. If your complaint is about the health- helps the healthcare service make use care service’s management of your of and learn from your experiences. care pathway and observance of your rights. If you wish to make a complaint about the service Both types of complaints should be sent Complaints about the service received to the Danish Patient Safety Authority. at hospitals should be directed to

REGION ZEALAND 9 hospital management for the relevant It is the job of the Danish Patient hospital. For example, your complaint Compensation Association to ensure may concern cleaning, service, staff that patients receive the compensation conduct or the staff’s way of speaking to which they are entitled by law. You to you as a patient. Find contact infor- must report your injury to the Danish mation at www.regionsjaelland.dk/ Patient Compensation Association. sygehuse At www.patienterstatningen.dk you If you want to claim compensation can read more about compensation in All patients are covered by a state the event of injury sustained during compensation scheme. The scheme treatment. covers injury sustained in connection with treatment at a public hospital, a If the hospital is to blame for the loss private hospital, from your GP, from or destruction of personal property, a specialist or from other privately you may be entitled to compensation practising authorised healthcare in certain cases. You should contact professionals. The scheme also covers the hospital. harm caused by pharmaceuticals. Patient Advice can help if you need advice on claiming compensation.

10 REGION ZEALAND Patient Advice

It is generally up to your GP or the Call Patient Advice hospital staff to provide you with You can call Patient Advice Monday information and advice. Patient to Thursday, 9 am to 1 pm, Advice can provide additional advice and Friday, 9.30 am to 1 pm and clarify any misunderstandings on +45 70 15 50 01. between you and the hospital, your GP or other healthcare professionals. Write to Patient Advice At www.regionsjaelland.dk/pv Impartial advice and guidance you can see how to send a digital Patient Advice is impartial and can mail. help you with questions about your choice of treatment location, waiting You can also send a letter to: times, information and complaint Region Zealand channels. They can also provide Patient Advice information and advice on your rights Alléen 15 and options in the healthcare system. DK-4180 Sorø They can also help you obtain the information. Meet a patient advisor If you need to meet a patient The patient advisors have a duty of advisor, this can also be arranged. confidentiality and will not proceed The meeting may take place at with your enquiry unless you have Patient Advice in Sorø or at one of agreed to this. the region’s hospitals.

REGION ZEALAND 11 More information on your rights as a patient

www.regionsjaelland.dk/ret www.stps.dk Read and watch a video about your If you want to complain about a rights as a patient. healthcare institution, disregarded rights or a specific healthcare www.regionsjaelland.dk/pv employee. Patient Advice offers impartial advice and guidance for patients in Region www.patienterstatningen.dk Zealand. If you want to claim compensation. www.sundhed.dk www.dpsd.dk About the Danish healthcare service If you want to report an incident. in general, patient rights, access to medical records and medication www.sum.dk profiles. You can also see an overview Ministry of Health’s website on of practising specialists. rights and legislation. Here you can find the leaflets www.sygehusvalg.dk “When you are referred to hospital” See which private hospitals you can and “Maximum waiting times for choose from if you are entitled to cancer and certain heart diseases”. treatment at an agreement hospital. www.mitsygehusvalg.dk See waiting times for selected treatments and operations at public hospitals and private hospitals. Communication Product no. 17390 Version 6 October 2016