Patient Rights (Scotland) Act 2011

18 Patient advice and support service S

(1) The patient advice and support service to be secured by the Agency under section 10ZA of the 1978 Act is to provide advice and support services to patients and other members of the public in relation to the health service.

(2) In particular, the patient advice and support service is to—

(a) promote an awareness and understanding of the rights and responsibilities of patients (and in particular, promote awareness of the Charter),

(b) advise and support persons who wish to give feedback or comments, or raise concerns or complaints about health care,

(c) provide information and advice on such matters as it considers likely to be of interest to persons using the health service,

(d) make persons aware of and, where appropriate, direct them to—

(i) other sources of advice and support (including persons who provide advice and support in relation to matters other than the health service),

(ii) persons providing representation and advocacy services,

(e) provide such—

(i) other advice or support,

(ii) reports on its activities,

as the Agency may specify.

(3) Nothing in this Act prevents a provider of the patient advice and support service from providing advice and support in relation to matters other than the health service.

(4) But the provision of such other advice and support by such a provider must not prejudice its provision of advice and support services under subsection (1).

(5) For the purposes of subsection (2), the responsibilities of a patient include the responsibility of the patient—

(a) for the patient's own health and wellbeing, and

(b) to behave appropriately in the receipt of health care.

(6) The Scottish Ministers may by regulations make further provision about the patient advice and support service and in particular about the services it is to provide.