The secularity charter

• All patients are treated and cared for in the same way, regardless of their religious beliefs or lack of them.
• The establishment respects the beliefs and convictions of its patients. Patients have the right to express their religious beliefs and convictions. Patients' religious freedom is exercised in an intimate setting (single room).
• All proselytising is prohibited, whether by a patient, a visitor, a member of staff or a volunteer.
• A list of representatives of the various religions is available at reception for patients who ask to contact one or more of them.
• All patients are free to choose their practitioner, provided that the establishment's organisational arrangements do not prevent this and that it is not an emergency situation. The hospital will explain any service constraints to patients who express religious concerns.
• Patients may not object to care staff or other users on the grounds of their actual or assumed religion, nor may they demand that the facility or any of its equipment be adapted. However, the establishment endeavours to take into consideration the convictions of its users in compliance with the rules to which it is subject and its proper functioning.

Charter for hospitalised patients

(Circular N° DHOS / E1/ DGS / SD1B / SD1C / SD4A / 2006 / 90 of 2 March 2006 relating to the rights of hospitalised patients)

GENERAL PRINCIPLES

1. All patients are free to choose the healthcare establishment that will care for them, within the limits of each establishment's possibilities. The public hospital service is accessible to all, in particular to the underprivileged and, in emergencies, to people without social security cover. It is adapted for people with disabilities.
2. Health establishments guarantee the quality of reception, treatment and care. They are attentive to pain relief and do everything possible to ensure that everyone lives in dignity, with particular attention to the end of life.
3. Information given to patients must be accessible and fair . Hospitalised patients participate in the therapeutic choices that concern them. They may be assisted by a support person of their choice.
4. Medical procedures may only be carried out with the free and informed consent of the patient . The patient has the right to refuse any treatment. Any adult may express his or her wishes regarding the end of his or her life in advance directives.
5. Specific consent is required, in particular, for people taking part in biomedical research, for the donation and use of elements and products of the human body and for screening procedures.
6. A person who is offered the opportunity to participate in biomedical research is informed, in particular, of the expected benefits and foreseeable risks. Their agreement is given in writing. Refusal will not affect the quality of care received.
7. The hospitalised patient may, with the exceptions provided for by law, leave theestablishment at any time after being informed of the possible risks to which he or she is exposed.
8. Hospitalised patients are treated with respect. Their beliefs are respected. Their privacy and peace of mind are respected.
9. All patients are guaranteed privacy and the confidentiality of personal, administrative, medical and social information .
10. Hospitalised patients (or their legal representatives) havedirect accessto health information concerning them . Under certain conditions, their beneficiaries also have this right in the event of their death.
11. Hospitalised patients may comment on the care and reception they have received. In each hospital, a user relations and quality of care committee ensures that users' rights are respected. All users have the right to be heard by a manager of the establishment to express their grievances and to seek compensation for any harm they feel they have suffered through an amicable dispute resolution procedure and/or before the courts.

The full document of the hospitalised patient charter is available on the www.sante.gouv.fr website.

Commitments

The Almaviva Group's Quality Charter sets out in clear and concrete terms the main guidelines of our continuous quality improvement approach

• Ensuring respect for patients' rights
• Listening carefully to what users have to say
• Ensuring the safety of people and property
• Promoting the coordination and continuity of care through multidisciplinary patient management
• Promoting good patient care
• Prioritise the control of infectious risks associated with care
• Continuing to improve pain management
• Ensuring reliable patient identification
• Developing a culture of quality and safety in care
• Improving therapeutic information for patients
• Maintain the safety of medication management
• Encouraging professional involvement and expression
• Promoting quality of life at work
• Generalising the evaluation of professional and organisational practices
• Respecting the environment by promoting sustainable development

For more information on the challenges of the quality and safety of care approach or the values shared by the Sainte Thérèse clinic and the Almaviva Santé Group