Lakeside Rooms Consumer Rights Policy

The following describes the Consumers’ Rights and Responsibilities at The Lakeside Rooms.

As a consumer at Lakeside Rooms, we wish to inform you of the following regarding how Independent Practitioners operate from The Lakeside Rooms:

  • Each Practitioner operates their practice independently, from the Lakeside Rooms space.

  • Lakeside Rooms provide administrative support and consulting rooms only; they cannot monitor or manage any areas of clinical practice or complaints and do not have access to your clinical records.

  • All complaints/feedback will be passed on to your Practitioner.

As an independent Health Practitioner, your psychologist or psychiatrist is responsible for:

  • Your clinical care and their clinical practice

  • Managing their feedback/complaints (further information can be found at https://www.ahpra.gov.au)

  • Storage and management of your health records

  • Managing client referrals and liaising with their associated stakeholders

  • Recommending and actioning any appropriate referrals

  • Authorising and issuing medication prescriptions (Psychiatrists ONLY)

Consumers of health services are entitled to two basic rights:

  • The right to give or withhold informed consent to treatment; and

  • The right to receive competent care from health service providers.

Competent care will entail:

  • Treating people with care, consideration and dignity

  • Giving clear information and explanations

  • Informing people about the service they are dealing with – what it offers, who is eligible, what costs are involved and what their responsibilities are

  • Encouraging people to ask questions about the service

  • Answering questions about any proposed treatments or procedures, including any associated risks, alternative treatments or procedures

  • Allowing people time to take in and understand the information provided informing people about whether the proposed treatment or procedure is experimental or part of medical research

  • Providing assistance from trained interpreters if requested and written material in the person’s first language

  • Referring to a more senior person if a complaint is lodged

  • Allowing a person to seek a second opinion (this may not be possible in an emergency)

  • Seeking informed consent before treatment begins

  • Accepting withdrawal of consent or refusal of treatment at any time

  • Allowing a person to appoint someone else to make decisions on their behalf, if they are not able to make those decisions themselves

  • Except in the case of some infectious diseases or psychiatric conditions, accepting a person’s decision to leave the hospital or treatment centre

  • Maintaining confidential personal records (except where the law requires that certain information be given to some person or authority, e.g. authorisation for methadone records from state or territory health authorities or where health care records may be subpoenaed for court or police)

  • Accepting that consumers have the right to obtain legal advice if they think the way they are being treated is against the law, or they believe they have suffered harm as a result of the way they have been treated

  • Dealing with any complaints in line with the individual services’ complaints procedure; and

  • Allowing people access to their medical records.

Health practitioners should allow parents or guardians of children to:

  • Exercise all the rights mentioned above on behalf of their own child; and

  • Stay with their child at all times unless separation is necessary for medical reasons.

Consumer Responsibilities

Consumers also have a responsibility to treat health practitioners and staff with respect in order that they are able to provide optimum care.

In healthcare settings, consumers should:

  • Treat healthcare workers with care, consideration, and dignity

  • Tell their healthcare worker if they are unable or do not intend to follow the prescribed treatment plan

  • Tell healthcare workers about any changes in their health, including any problems they may have with the treatment they are receiving; and

  • Keep appointments or let the service know if they are unable to attend

  • Ensure you have a valid referral before booking your appointments.