Protecting the interests of patients and their families

The National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS) is committed towards delivering medical excellence and genuine care to our patients. We aim to serve you and your family by providing quality healthcare built on values of compassion, respect and integrity. Our medical professionals endeavour to treat your medical condition and safeguard your well-being regardless of your age, race, language, religion or social status.

Care and Respect

At NHCS, you shall be treated with dignity in a humane and safe environment. Your personal safety includes being free from physical restraints or seclusion, unless required as part of your overall medical treatment. Appropriate protection will be accorded to the disabled, elderly and those with special needs.

We respect your personal values, religious, ethnic beliefs and need for privacy. You may express your religious and/or ethnic practices so long as they do not cause disharmony or conflict to others. If you require support in this area, please inform your nurse in the ward, who will help to arrange a visit by a religious counsellor.
We understand that making decisions about medical treatment for a serious illness can be difficult for you and your family. We will discuss with you and your family and if necessary, seek the advice of the Ethics Committee. We will respect and comply with your decisions made in accordance with your Advance Medical Directive¹if you have already made one.

You have the right to seek a second medical opinion within or outside NHCS.

Confidentiality and Privacy

We keep records of all patient visits and are bound by law and professional ethics to keep your medical records, including information from the National Electronic Health Records², and all aspects of care rendered to you, strictly confidential.

This information will only be shared with those involved in providing care for you.

This information may also be shared with other staff in the hospital administration for the purpose of hospital operations, e.g. monitoring of the services rendered by our staff to you.

NHCS is the national referral centre and preferred training centre in the region. We are also the major centre for medical research and clinical trials in this region. Thus, there may be a need to view patients’ medical records for medical research and training purposes, as authorised by the law or NHCS. You can be assured that those who have access to your records are under legal obligations of non-disclosure.

We may be required by law to disclose the information in certain circumstances, such as for the purpose of notification of infectious diseases.

Other than the abovementioned instances, we will obtain written authorisation from you should we need to release your information to a third party.

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):

Treatment options (including surgery process)
Known outcome
Known risks of treatment
Known risks and consequences of non-treatment
Estimated hospital bill
Plan for your continuous care after discharge
Names of the healthcare professionals responsible for your treatment

In addition, you may also request for:

A copy of your medical report in accordance with the hospital’s policy
An explanation of your hospital charges
Any additional information or queries you may have about your stay in the hospital

The information provided will help you decide whether to give consent to, or refuse the proposed treatment and/or procedure. If you choose not to undergo treatment, or leave the hospital against the doctor’s advice, to the extent permitted by law, you may do so upon signing a form to request discharge against medical advice. You will accept full responsibility for consequences as a result of your decision.

As an academic medical centre, NHCS trains future generations of healthcare professionals to serve the nation’s needs. There may be times when residents and students in medical, nursing and allied health disciplines participate in your care under the supervision of the physician-in-charge.

Research

Some patients may be invited to participate in clinical research. Before conducting a clinical research involving human subjects, we are required to obtain the written consent of the patients to participate in the research project. You can choose to refuse to participate or opt out at any point during the research project, even after giving your written consent. Your decision not to participate will not compromise the level of care you are entitled to.

Organ Donation

Organ donation is the only way to give better quality of life for patients suffering from organ failures, such as heart, lungs, liver and kidney failures. The Human Organ Transplant Act (HOTA) allows for the organs (kidney, liver, heart and cornea) of those who have died in the hospitals, from both accidental and non-accidental deaths, to be removed for the purpose of transplantation. It applies to all Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents 21 years and above, who are of sound mind, unless they have opted out. HOTA also regulates living donor transplantation.

Organ transplant allows many patients a chance to a new lease of life. You may opt out of HOTA if you do not wish to donate any organ after death. Your wish will be respected. The opt-out form is available upon request from the hospital, polyclinics or from the National Organ Transplant Unit (c/o Block 3 Level 1, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore 169608, Tel: 6321 4390).

For more information, please contact HOTA Hotline: 1800-2254-122 or visit the Ministry of Health website at www.moh.gov.sg.

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 you the best possible care that meets your needs and addresses the anxieties of your family.

We ask that you and your family:

Provide complete information on your medical history (including allergies and medicines you are taking), financial circumstances, and other relevant details to enable us to help you. This may include sensitive medical information, such as termination of pregnancy, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status, mental illnesses, which may be shared among the healthcare team participating in your medical care. This is to ensure safe and optimal medical management of your health. Please be assured that the information will be managed in accordance with the prevailing laws.
Comply with the treatment plans given to you by our care team.
Inform us when you encounter problems that prevent you from complying with the treatment plans.
Inform us of any changes in your medical condition.
Be prompt in making payment of the required fees and charges for the medical services provided to you.
Appoint a decision-maker to represent your wishes about your care to us in the event that you are unable to do so.
Treat all staff, other patients and visitors with due respect and courtesy.
Comply with prevailing hospital regulations such as the visitors’ policy.
Ask questions when in doubt so that we can clear any doubts or address any concerns you may have to help you better take care of yourself at home after discharge.
Inform us in advance if you are unable to keep your follow-up appointments.

Feedback

We value your feedback as part of our continued efforts to improve our services for the benefit of our patients. If you have any suggestion or wish to share your experience about our services, please complete our online form, email us at [email protected], or speak to our Office of Patient Experience Officer at Tel: 6704 2379 / 6704 2059.

We thank you for choosing us to take care of your heart health.

¹An Advance Medical Directive (AMD) is a legal document which you can sign in advance to inform the doctor　treating you that you do not want any extraordinary life-sustaining treatment to be used to prolong your life in the event that you become terminally ill and unconscious.

²The National Electronic Health Record (NEHR) is a secure system that collects summary patient health records across different healthcare providers. This enables authorised healthcare professionals to have a holistic picture of your healthcare history.

NEHR includes information such as: