The Charter of Patient Rights and Responsibilities summarises what you’re entitled to and what’s expected of you when you:
It also explains what you can do if you feel that your rights haven’t been respected.
The ‘Accessing and using NHS services in Scotland’ section of the charter explains your rights when using NHS health services.
Your health board must take your needs into account but must also consider the rights of other patients, medical opinion and the most efficient way to use NHS resources.
You must never be refused access because of your:
The majority of NHS services are provided free of charge, including:
Services that you may have to pay for include:
You can find out more about accessing NHS treatment in the following pages:
Every person in Scotland has the right and the responsibility to register with a GP.
Your GP is usually your main point of access to medical services and referrals to hospital.
If you move out of the area or are physically or verbally abusive to people at the practice, your GP may have cause to remove you from their register.
Find out how you to register with a GP
It’s important that you make every effort to go to your appointments as missed appointments can have a negative effect on other patients’ care.
You should always:
Your GP practice, dental practice, optician and any hospital or clinic you go to need to know how to contact you.
It’s important that you tell them if you change:
An NHS dentist helps you look after your teeth, gums and other parts of your mouth.
Find out to access NHS dental treatment in Scotland.
You have the right to be given information in a way you understand about:
You can expect that any medicines your doctor or other qualified health care professional prescribes will be appropriate for you.
It’s important to take responsibility for your own treatment and care by:
The Medicines in Scotland, What’s the right treatment for me? booklet explains how you can work with the NHS staff to decide whether you need a particular medicine.
Further information on getting your prescription
When receiving NHS care or treatment, you have the right for this to be provided with reasonable care by properly qualified staff.
The care and treatment you receive must be:
You can expect health care premises to meet standards of hygiene agreed by the NHS and monitored by the Healthcare Environment Inspectorate (HEI).
You can help prevent the spread of infection in NHS premises by always washing your hands. Use the hand gel provided before entering a hospital ward, particularly after using the toilet.
You should avoid visiting a patient in hospital or a resident in a care home if you’re feeling unwell, or if you or anyone in your household is suffering from vomiting or diarrhoea.
If you visit someone in hospital, do not sit on their bed or touch dressings, drips or other equipment.
You should always ask ward staff before bringing food, drink or flowers for someone you are visiting in hospital.
Staff should always wash their hands before they examine you. If you think a member of staff has forgotten to wash their hands you should ask them to do so before examining you.
If you think NHS premises are not as clean as they should be, let a member of staff know.
You can also report any concerns to the Healthcare Environment Inspectorate or contact Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) directly on 0131 623 4300.
To use health services properly, remember:
When using NHS services, you should expect your wishes about organ and tissue donation to be respected after your death.
To find our more information or to become an organ or tissue donor, visit the NHS Organ Donor Register.
Patients who are due to receive treatment have a right to receive the treatment within 12 weeks from the date they agree to the treatment.
This is known as the Treatment Time Guarantee (TTG) and forms part of NHS Scotland’s waiting times service.
Not all treatments are covered in the treatment time guarantee.
Read more about waiting times
If you’re an adult with a newly diagnosed primary cancer type (such as breast, lung, head and neck) your health board should provide treatment within the following time scales:
These timescales include referrals from national cancer screening programmes.
You can ask NHS staff if your cancer treatment is covered by the national waiting standard.
If you have a mental health problem that requires support through specialist services, your health board should provide you with treatment within the following timescales:
It’s important that you consider your health care needs when travelling abroad.
Each country has a different health care system, some expect patients to pay towards the cost of their treatment.
Before you travel:
Last updated:
17 November 2023