Your Patient Rights

 We want to be clear about something: being a patient doesn’t mean surrendering your voice, your dignity, or your right to make decisions about your own body and your own care. South Africa’s National Health Act and the Patients’ Rights Charter exist precisely because healthcare should never strip you of your autonomy, and at Botshilu, we don’t just comply with these rights; we believe in them.

Your Right to Dignity and Respect

Every person who enters Botshilu Private Hospital,  regardless of background, income, medical aid status, language, culture, gender, disability, or diagnosis, is entitled to be treated with respect and human dignity. This applies to every interaction, from reception to discharge, from cleaning staff to specialist surgeons.

You will not be spoken down to. You will not be dismissed. You will not be treated differently because of where you come from or how you’re paying. Dignity isn’t something we offer when it’s convenient; it’s the baseline for every encounter in this hospital.

Your Right to Information

You have the right to understand what is happening to you, why it’s happening, and what your options are. This means your diagnosis, your proposed treatment, the risks and benefits of that treatment, alternative options, likely outcomes, and the costs involved, explained in language you actually understand, not buried in medical jargon.

If you don’t understand something, ask. Ask again. Ask a third time. Your medical team has an obligation to explain until you genuinely understand. This isn’t an inconvenience to them, it’s your right and their professional duty.

We offer service in Sepedi, Setswana, isiZulu, English, and Afrikaans to help ensure language is never a barrier to understanding your own healthcare.

Your Right to Choose and to Refuse

You have the right to choose your own doctor where possible, to seek a second opinion, and to refuse treatment. Refusing treatment, even treatment your doctor strongly recommends, is your legal right, provided you understand the consequences of that refusal.

No procedure, examination, or treatment should ever happen without your informed consent. “Informed” means you understood what was explained to you and agreed voluntarily, not that someone thrust a form at you and pointed at a signature line.

In emergencies where you cannot give consent, and delay would be life-threatening, medical staff may act to save your life, but this is the exception, not the rule, and is governed by strict legal and ethical standards.

Your Right to Confidentiality

Your medical information is private. Your diagnosis, your treatment, your medical history, all of it is confidential and protected under South African law, including the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and the National Health Act.

Information about your health may only be shared with healthcare professionals directly involved in your care, or with your written consent. Staff discussing patient information in public areas, sharing details with family members without your permission, or accessing records they have no clinical reason to see, none of this is acceptable, and we have systems and policies to prevent it.

Your Right to Complain

If something goes wrong, if you feel your rights have been violated, if you experience poor treatment, rudeness, negligence, or anything that falls below what you should expect,  you have the right to complain without fear of being victimised or having your care compromised.

We’d rather hear about problems directly so we can address them. Our Patient Relations team and Client Liaison Officer are available to listen, investigate, and respond to concerns. You can also submit feedback anonymously if you prefer.

If you feel your complaint hasn’t been adequately addressed internally, you have the right to escalate to external bodies, including the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), the Office of Health Standards Compliance (OHSC), or the South African Human Rights Commission.

Your Right to a Safe Environment

You are entitled to receive care in an environment that meets established safety and hygiene standards. This includes clean facilities, properly maintained equipment, qualified staff, appropriate infection prevention measures, and adherence to clinical protocols. Our infection prevention and control team, led by dedicated IPC management, works to ensure these standards are maintained consistently across every ward and department.

Your Right to Continuity of Care

Your care doesn’t end abruptly. You have the right to be informed about ongoing healthcare requirements after discharge, to receive clear instructions about medication, follow-up appointments, and warning signs to watch for, and to have referrals arranged where further specialist care is needed. Discharge planning starts during your admission, not five minutes before you leave.

Your Responsibilities

Rights come with responsibilities. As a patient, you also have a role to play in your own care:

Provide accurate and complete information about your medical history, current medications, allergies, and symptoms, even details you might find embarrassing or think are unimportant. Your medical team can only make good decisions with good information.

Follow the agreed treatment plan, take medications as prescribed, and attend follow-up appointments. If you’re struggling with any aspect of your treatment, cost, side effects, understanding, transport, tell your care team so they can help find solutions rather than discovering problems when complications arise.

Treat hospital staff with the same respect and dignity you expect from them. Our staff are professionals doing demanding work, and verbal or physical abuse is never acceptable.

Understand your financial obligations. If you’re on medical aid, familiarise yourself with your plan’s benefits, exclusions, and co-payment requirements. If you’re paying privately, discuss costs before admission wherever possible. Our accounts department and medical aid liaison team are available to help you understand the financial aspects of your care. Please use them.

Respect other patients’ rights to rest, privacy, and dignity. Keep noise to reasonable levels, observe visiting hours, and follow infection control guidelines, including hand hygiene.

We’re Here to Help

If you have questions about your rights, need assistance with a complaint, or feel uncertain about any aspect of your care, speak to your ward nurse, ask to see the unit manager, or contact our Patient Relations team directly.

Your rights aren’t a poster on a wall at Botshilu. They’re commitments we make to every patient, every day.