Patient rights and information

Patients' rights

The patient charter

The full text of the Hospitalised Patients' Charter is available on the Ministry of Health website.

It can also be obtained free of charge, without delay, on request from the establishment's reception service.

Charter for hospitalised patients

The Commission for Relations with Users and the Quality of Care

The CRUQPC acts as a link between the institution and users. It plays an essential role in implementing measures to improve the way in which you and your family are received and cared for. It must also ensure that your rights are respected.

As part of this role, it may examine your complaints or claims.

The CDU is made up of (list of names available at reception) :

• the director of the establishment
• 2 user representatives
• 2 doctor mediators
• 5 non-physician mediators

The representatives of the CDU :

• Ms JABERT Melvina - Chair of the CDU
• Mrs LEQUEUX Nathalie - Director of Nursing Care
• Docteur ZARKA Marc - Doctor Mediator
• Docteur CHAAR Abd-Alsalam - Doctor Mediator
• Mrs THERY Christelle - CRF Care Unit Manager
• Mrs LOPES Catherine - Social Assistant
• Mrs CHOLEWA Lucie - Social worker
• Mrs COLMANT Martine - Users' representative
• Mrs DE PREAUDET Michèle - User representative
• Mrs MARQUES Corinne - Patient Relations Officer
• Mrs JAKSIC Natacha - Referring nurse, non-physician mediator
• Mrs MARDIVIRIN Fanny - IDE HdJ

Click here to contact the user representatives.

Designation of a trusted support person

Blood sampling at the Clinique de l'Essonne (Article L. 1111-6 of the Public Health Code)
During your stay, you may designate, in writing, a trusted member of your family to accompany you throughout your care and the decisions to be taken.

This person, whom the establishment will consider to be your "trusted support person", will be consulted if you are unable to express your wishes or to receive the necessary information.
If you so wish, this person may also attend medical interviews so that he or she can take part in decisions concerning you.

Please note that you may cancel your appointment or change its terms at any time.

Your complaints, claims, praise, observations or proposals

(Articles R. 1112-79 to R. 1112-94 of the Public Health Code)
If you are not satisfied with your care, we invite you to contact the person in charge directly. If you are not satisfied with this first step, you can ask to meet the person delegated by the establishment's management to receive your complaint or claim. If you prefer, you can write to this person, who can be contacted on 01 60 87 87 72.
This person will ensure that your complaint or claim is investigated in accordance with the procedures laid down in the French Public Health Code (articles R 1112-91 to R. 1112-94 CSP). It will liaise with the Commission for Relations with Users and the Quality of Care (CRUQPC).

If necessary, it can put you in touch with a doctor or non-physician mediator who is a member of the CRUQPC. The mediator(s) will meet with you and your family, if necessary, to examine any difficulties you are experiencing.

Art. R. 1112-91 - All users of a healthcare establishment must be given the opportunity to express their grievances orally to the managers of the establishment's departments. If this is not possible, or if the explanations received do not satisfy the user, he/she is informed that he/she has the right either to address a written complaint or claim to the legal representative of the institution, or to have his/her complaint or claim recorded in writing, for the same purpose. In the latter case, a copy of the document is issued to the patient without delay.

Art. R. 1112-92 - All written complaints and claims addressed to the institution are forwarded to its legal representative, who either responds as soon as possible, informing the complainant of the possibility of referring the matter to a mediator, or informs the person concerned that he or she is making the referral.

The medical mediator is competent to deal with complaints or claims that exclusively concern the organisation of care and the medical operation of the department, while the non-medical mediator is competent to deal with complaints or claims that do not concern these issues. If a complaint or claim concerns both mediators, it is referred to them simultaneously.

Art. R. 1112-93 - When the matter is referred to the mediator by the institution's legal representative or by the person lodging the complaint or claim, the mediator meets with the latter. Unless the complainant refuses or is unable to attend, the meeting shall take place within eight days of the referral. If the complaint or claim is made by an inpatient, the meeting must take place as far as possible before the patient is discharged from the hospital. The mediator may meet the patient's next of kin if he considers it useful or at the patient's request.

Art. R. 1112-94 - Within eight days of the meeting with the person lodging the complaint or claim, the mediator will send a report of the meeting to the Chairman of the Commission, who will immediately forward it, along with the complaint or claim, to the members of the Commission and to the complainant.

Advance directives

Clinique de l'Essonne Extérieur(Article L. 1111-11 of the Public Health Code)

Any person of legal age may, if they so wish, draw up advance directives in the event that, at the end of their life, they are unable to express their wishes. These directives indicate their wishes concerning the conditions for limiting or stopping treatment. They will be consulted prior to any medical decision, and their content takes precedence over any other non-medical advice.

Renewable every three years, they may be cancelled or modified at any time during this period.

If you want your directives to be taken into account, you should make them available to the doctor who will be treating you in the establishment: give them to him or her, or indicate their existence and the contact details of the person to whom you have given them.

The medical file

In accordance with the law of 4 March 2002 on patients' rights and the quality of care, you have access to the personal medical information contained in your file, either directly or through the doctor you have designated as your intermediary in writing. The request must be made in writing, accompanied by a copy of your identity document, to the director of the establishment.

The cost of reproduction and postage will be charged to you at €0.15 per copy.
You can benefit from medical assistance when consulting medical information.
Information is available within 8 days of the request for medical information less than 5 years old and within two months for medical information more than 5 years old.

Since 6 January 2007, medical records must be kept for twenty years from the date of your last visit to the hospital. For patients who are minors, the period is extended until their twenty-eighth birthday.

Key facts:

Consultation of medical records :

• On site, free of charge
• Documents sent by post at your expense

Medical information available :

• 8 days for records less than 5 years old
• 2 months for files more than 5 years old

Under the French Data Protection Act of 6 January 1978, as amended, you have the right to access and correct this information.

• Concerning administrative data: you have access to information concerning you, which may be rectified, completed, updated or deleted. To do this, you can contact the management of the establishment.

• Medical data: This data is collected and checked by the doctor in charge of the medical information department (D.I.M.) as part of the information systems medicalisation programme (P.MS.I.).

Access to and use of these documents are strictly reserved for authorised persons. This data is protected by medical secrecy.

You may exercise your right of access and rectification through a doctor of your choice or one designated by the establishment. This request should be made to the practitioner responsible for the medical facility where you received treatment, or to the practitioner who compiled your file.

You have the right to object, for legitimate reasons, to the collection and processing of personal data concerning you, under the conditions set out in article 38 of law no. 78-17 of 6 January 1978 as amended.