Going to the doctor

When you go to the doctor you have a right to:

• choose who goes with you
• ask your doctor questions
• choose who can see your healthcare information
• choose if your doctor is male or female
• ask for a new doctor
• ask how much a treatment will cost
• ask what is good and bad about a treatment
• find out if a treatment will be OK with medicine you are already taking
• find out if the treatment will affect your disability
• ask if the treatment will make it harder to have children.

When you book your appointment, you also have the right to ask for:

• extra time with your doctor
• printed information about your appointment
• an accessible room if you use a wheelchair
• accessible equipment, like a movable bed
• a support person or advocate to go with you.

When something is accessible, everyone can use it.

This might be:

• a place or a building
• transport
• a service
• information
• a website.

An advocate is someone who helps you to speak up for yourself.

You also have the right to bring:

• someone to translate the information into your language
• an Auslan interpreter.

To learn more about your rights at the doctor, download the:

• WWDA Easy English Book: Your Health Rights
• WWDA Better Healthcare for People with Disability guide
• WWDA Better Hospital Care for People with Disability guide
• Council for Intellectual Disability: Health Resources

To find a health service near you, visit the Health Direct National Health Services Directory website.