Your Rights and Responsibilities as a Patient

IN THE BEST INTEREST OF OUR PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES

At the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS), we strive to provide medical diagnosis, cancer treatment and patient care of the highest standard. Each patient is unique to us. Our teams of doctors, nurses and supporting staff will take every effort to provide customised care to assist you and your family at every stage of your illness.

CARE AND RESPECT

At NCCS, you will be treated with dignity in a humane and safe environment. Appropriate attention will be accorded to the disabled, elderly and those with special needs.
We respect your personal values, religious and ethnic beliefs, and need for privacy.
Making decisions about medical treatment for a serious illness such as cancer can be difficult. Your healthcare provider will discuss with you and your family any problem that may arise and, if necessary, refer the case to the Ethics Committee for further guidance. We respect and will comply with your decisions made in accordance with your Advance Medical Directive¹ if you have made one.

¹Advance Medical Directive (AMD) is a legal document signed by a person in advance to indicate that he/she does not wish to have any extraordinary life-sustaining treatment to prolong his/her life in the event when he/she becomes terminally ill and is unable to express his/her last wishes. Persons wishing to sign the AMD can request for the form from the outpatient clinics or ambulatory treatment unit (ATU).

CONFIDENTIALITY AND PRIVACY

As a NCCS patient, we keep records of all your visits. We are bound by law and professional ethics to keep your medical records, including Electronic Medical Records² and all care rendered to you, strictly confidential.
This information will only be disclosed to those involved in providing your care.
This information may also be shared with administrative staff of NCCS, but only to facilitate the Centre’s operations.
NCCS is a national and regional centre for training and research. Thus, there may be a need to view medical records for these purposes, as authorised by the Centre, or when permitted by law. However, those who view your records are under legal obligation not to disclose them to anyone not involved in your care. Your privacy and confidentiality will be respected.
We may also be required by law to disclose the information in certain circumstances, such as for the purpose of notifications of infectious disease.
Your written authorisation will be required in all other instances should the need arise to release your information to others.
We will conduct consultation, examination, treatment, and case discussion discreetly to respect your personal privacy.

² Electronic Medical Record Exchange (EMRX) is an initiative by the Ministry of Health to share electronic medical records across healthcare establishments. It was started in 2004 with two public healthcare clusters, SingHealth (of which NCCS is part of) and National Healthcare Group to enable sharing across all public hospitals and polyclinics in Singapore. EMRX enables medical staff involved in your care to meet your unique medical needs better and faster. The following information will be shared:

Discharge Summary which summarises your recent hospitalisation record
Laboratory, X-ray and other radiological test results
Operation reports
Medicines prescribed

To find out more about EMRX, please visit Ministry of Health’s website www.moh.gov.sg.

EXPLANATION AND INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR TREATMENT

You are entitled to information on your medical condition, conveyed in a way you can understand. This information shall include, except in emergencies and where applicable:

Your condition;
Treatment options and outcome;
Known risks or proposed/alternative treatment(s);
Estimated treatment cost;
Plan of your continuous care after consultation;
The names of your healthcare professionals.

In addition, you may also request for:

A copy of your medical report in accordance with the Centre’s policy;
An explanation of your charges;
Any additional information or query you may have about your visit to the Centre

The information provided will help you decide whether to give consent to, or refuse the proposed treatment and/or procedure.
After being informed about the benefit(s) and risk(s) of the proposed treatment, you have a choice not to undergo treatment despite the doctor’s advice, to the extent permitted by law. You also have the choice to discontinue treatment after it has started so long as you are aware of the consequences.
You will accept full responsibility for the consequences as a result of your decision.

RESEARCH

NCCS is a major clinical research institution and regularly conducts scientific studies to advance medical science and seek cures and improvement in treatment.
All research studies in NCCS that require patient participation will have been reviewed by the SingHealth Institution Review Board for ethical approval before they are allowed to be carried out.
If you are invited to participate in a clinical study, we will obtain your written consent. You can choose to refuse to participate or opt out at any point during the research after giving your written consent. Your decision not to participate will not compromise the level of care you are entitled to.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

While we have a responsibility to safeguard your interests as our patient, it is important for you to play your part in the entire treatment process. We want to give the best possible care that meets your needs and to address the anxieties of your family. We ask that you and your family:

Provide accurate and complete information on your medical history (including allergies, any infectious disease(s) you may have and medicines you are taking), financial circumstances, and other relevant details to enable us to help you.
Comply with the treatment plans given to you by our healthcare professionals.
Inform us who you have appointed/authorised to make decisions on your behalf in the event that you are incapable of making decisions on your medical care.
Advise us of changes in your medical condition.
Be responsible in meeting the required fees and charges for the medical services provided to you.
Treat all staff, other patients and visitors with due respect and courtesy.
Comply with the rules put up for the patients’ and staff’s safety.
Clarify any doubts on instructions given to you after consultation.
Be on time for appointments and inform us in advance if you are unable to keep your follow-up appointments.
Respect the confidentiality and privacy of others.

FEEDBACK

We value your feedback to improve our services. If you have any suggestions or wish to share your experience about our services, you may complete the feedback form or call our Service Quality Hotline at 6236 9476. You may also email us at qsm@nccs.com.sg.

We thank you for placing your trust in us. We are here to help, so please approach us if we can make your visit to NCCS more comfortable and pleasant.