Patient Rights & Responsibilities
»
At the British Virgin Islands Health Services Authority, the doctors, nurses and entire staff, are committed to quality care of our patients.
As a patient of the Authority, a relative of our patient, or a care giver you have rights associated with your use of our services. You can expect, and we the staff pledge, that all of these rights will be honored during every contact that you have with us.
As our patient you also have responsibilities to yourself and your healthcare provider when they are providing services or care to you. When we respect your rights and you deliver on your responsibilities, you will receive the highest standard of care. This will ensure that services and care will maximize improvements to your health and well-being.
Patients' Rights
As a patient, parent, or legally responsible representative of a patient, you have the right to:
We will provide the best possible care, regardless of age, gender, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation or source of payment.
We will do our best to provide clear and complete information and answers to your questions. If you need a foreign language interpreter, we will, to the best of our ability, provide one for you.
- All our patients have the right to be fully informed and to receive clear description of their medical condition, alternative treatments, and a proposed course of treatment.
- Our patients have the right to know the names of all medications issued, mode of action, and the potential side-effects or complications of use.
- Our patients have the right to be informed of their prognosis (or likely outcome of their medical condition).
- Our patients can elect not to be informed or alternatively choose to have a relative, caregiver, or advocate be informed of their medical
- Our patients will be provided with the appropriate information in a way they can
We will provide you access to your medical records and have the information explained, if necessary, unless restricted by law.
We will provide detailed information about your hospital and physician charges for medical care.
You have the right to be informed of the risks and benefits involved in your medical treatment. If there are medical alternatives available, you have the right to be informed.
- All our patients have the right to an appropriate standard of medical care and services in keeping with acceptable medical practice. The standard of care will Include national or regional accepted standards of care.
- Patients can expect that the quality and standard of care and services at the health services will be continuously evaluated and improved to ensure that they receive the highest level of service possible. This will include regular audits, staff training, the investigation of incidents, and the use of user and staff surveys.
- We will refer you to an appropriate specialist, or facility, when your condition is outside our scope of competency.
- Patients have a right to prompt and courteous care within a reasonable time. Priority will always be given to urgent cases or emergencies.
- All of our patients have the right to refuse or choose alternative treatments, or diagnostic procedures without affecting the standard of care that they receive. You may need to sign a waiver, release or absolution of responsibility form to protect staff from liability if you refuse care.
If you refuse treatment, we will respect your decision and inform you of the medical consequences.
- Patients are entitled to have a care giver, relative, or advocate present at any time while they are accessing services. Such person will be allowed reasonable access for the duration of the service contract, except where such access must be restricted in order to effectively treat patients.
- All of our patients have the right to seek a second opinion with regards to their diagnosis, investigation, or treatment. Your health care giver will not hesitate to ENSURE that you receive copies of any of your results of investigations, or medical reports that you may require in order to facilitate this.
If choose to be moved to another facility or discharged against your doctor’s advice, we will respect your wishes.
You may be asked to take part in research study related to your illness. If you choose not to join the study, or if you withdraw from it, you will have the same quality of medical care available to you. The quality of care administered to you will not change.
We will provide you with information about a Power of Attorney. You may appoint someone to make health care decisions on your behalf. We will respect your wishes to the extent allowed by law.
Before you leave the Hospital, we will work with you to plan for your care upon discharge. We will provide information and guidance for your follow-up care.
You are entitled to all privacy, dignity and respect possible. Your medical information is considered confidential.
- All of our patients have the right to privacy
during all of their medical consultations - All of our patients can expect that their medical records will be treated confidentially
Should you face an end-of-life situation, we will respect your need for comfort and dignity. Your and your family’s wishes will be respected within the law. Your family can expect caring support from our staff.
We will do all that we can to provide care that respects your personal values, beliefs and cultural heritage. We will contact your support for you.
Patients' Responsibilities
You need to give complete and accurate information about your health to ensure that you receive appropriate care. This may involve giving information about your:
- Present illness
- Past illness
- Allergies to medications or foods
- Any treatments that you may already have received including herbal or natural remedies
- Any other details
If you have a living will or other advance directive, please bring a copy to the Hospital when you are admitted, or have a family member bring it as soon as possible.
If you do not understand what your health care team is telling you, or if you need more information, you need to tell them.
Please provide complete and accurate information about your insurance coverage.
Please make arrangements for timely payment of your bill. If there is something about your bill that you do not understand, please ask questions.
If you are not able to keep an appointment, please call to reschedule.
You and your health care team will need to agree on a treatment plan. If you are unable to follow the plan, please say so.
You are expected to take appropriate responsibility in the management of your condition (s).The staff is here to help you improve and protect your health and well being.
As a patient of the BVI Health Services Authority, you are expected to respect and obey the rules of the clinics or the hospital. They are provided to ensure smooth running of the services and respect for the rights of your fellow patients, and health care providers.
You are expected to keep appointments and to punctual. Contact us as soon as possible if you cannot be on time. If you arrive later than your appointment time this may cause an inconvenience for other patients, however, if we are running behind schedule, we apologize and ask for your understanding.
You have the responsibility to treat your health care providers and fellow patients with respect. Disrespectful behavior, abuse (verbal or physical) to staff or patients, or disruptive behavior will not be tolerated and is subject to a “zero tolerance policy”. All incidents will be reported to the relevant authorities and dealt with appropriately.
Hospital and Clinic Etiquette
Right to Redress
© 2025 British Virgin Islands Services Authority. All rights reserved.