Rights & obligations

All hospital staff are bound by the legal duty of confidentiality. Our staff may only pass on information about you, your state of health or treatment to third parties with your consent. We will pass on any necessary medical information to your GP and/or other treating physicians, unless we have received a personal declaration to the contrary from you.

Your personal rights will be protected. Without your consent, the doctor may not provide your family members or caregivers with any detailed and comprehensive information about your state of health. If family members and caregivers are present during an informative or explanatory session, we shall assume that you are agreed. You can also designate a trusted person to whom medical information may be given in writing. If a patient cannot be reached or is not able to make a decision, the doctor can inform the closest family members as legal representatives.

Your treating physician will keep you informed about your state of health, the expected course of the recovery process and therapies. Your doctor will be available to answer any questions you may have about examinations, treatments and/or interventions. You will also receive detailed information about risks, side effects and, where applicable, treatment alternatives. The obligation to inform you is only waived if urgent action is necessary, e.g. for life-saving procedures. In this case, the doctors shall decide amongst themselves and inform you afterwards of the decision.

Effective treatment and a speedy recovery require a trusting relationship between you and the hospital staff. To guard against any potential misunderstandings, you should therefore engage in dialogue. Don't hesitate to ask questions if you don't understand something and if you want more information.

After receiving detailed and comprehensible explanations, you are free to decide whether you want to undergo a particular treatment or intervention. No treatment or intervention may be carried out without your consent and against your will.

Your written consent is required to perform surgeries and any major or high-risk procedures. You will only be deemed to have provided your consent by default in emergencies. For very basic procedures, such as drawing blood, we will also assume that you will provide your consent unless you state otherwise.

If you intend to leave the hospital prematurely contrary to medical advice, you must declare this in writing.

Your medical history comprises all essential information and documents about your illness and its course. It includes your own personal details, examination results, laboratory findings, X-rays, surgery reports and other documents. You can inspect your records on request. Your medical history will be archived by the hospital for a period of 10 years after completion of the last treatment and shall remain the property of the hospital during this time.

A living will is a written record of your wishes in case you are no longer able to make your own decisions. You can, for example, specify whether you wish to be kept on life-support and how you feel about post-mortem examinations and organ donation. Rest assured that the doctors will respect your wishes. We recommend that you discuss your living will with members of your family, your GP and the treatment team.

You can greatly contribute to your own recovery. It is your responsibility to do the utmost to promote your recovery and to refrain from any habits that are harmful to your health. This also encompasses observing and complying with the internal guidelines of our hospital to ensure that a sensible and orderly operational and daily routine is maintained and that the rights of other patients and hospital staff are considered. Your active cooperation is also essential so that your doctor can record your medical history as accurately as possible. This is only possible if you provide complete and detailed data. Do not conceal anything that may be relevant for medical and/or nursing purposes and be sure to let us know if you cannot tolerate particular medications, if you suffer from allergies, or if you notice any adverse effects of the treatments.