Home · What to do · Patient rights in hospital: what you can do

Patient rights in hospital: what you can do

A hospital is not a place where decisions are made for you: Russian health law gives the patient the right to know the diagnosis, to consent or refuse, to choose and to obtain documents. Knowing these rights is useful not for arguing but for asking the right questions — most conflicts in hospital start with silence on both sides.

Call now +7 (985) 887-82-52dispatch line, 24/7 (Russian-speaking)

Write to usWhatsApp Telegram MAX

What to do right now

Informed consent
Any intervention follows an explanation of what will be done, why and with what risks, and your signature. You are not obliged to sign a blanket consent to everything.
Refusal
You may refuse admission or any procedure in writing; the doctor must explain the consequences. Exceptions: incapacity, court-ordered psychiatric care, dangerous infections.
Information about your health
Diagnosis, test results and the treatment plan — to you and to anyone you name in writing. Copies of medical records on written request, free of charge, within 30 days.
Choosing the doctor and the hospital
For planned admission you choose the hospital with your referral; the treating doctor can be changed by application to the chief physician.
Relatives
Visiting follows hospital rules, but cannot be banned outright; since 2019 relatives are admitted to intensive care, with restrictions.

Call an ambulance if

The doctor does not explain the diagnosis — request a meeting with the treating doctor or the head of department
You are refusing a procedure — put it in writing so it is not treated as absconding
You want an early discharge — write an application; the doctor records that you were warned
You need a transfer to another hospital — consent of the receiving hospital and a discharge summary, which the current one must issue
Your rights were violated — head of department, chief physician, your insurance company, Roszdravnadzor

What not to do

Do not sign documents unread "because everyone signs"
Do not leave hospital without formalities — it is recorded as absconding and complicates everything later
Do not argue with nurses about prescriptions — questions go to the treating doctor
Do not demand from an ambulance crew what only the hospital decides: ward, doctor, length of stay

What the crew does

The crew provides a contract and informed consent for its own actions — you are entitled to read them
For admission by dispatch order we explain where we are taking you and why
If you refuse admission, we record it in the call record and give recommendations
A copy of the contract and the receipt stay with you; calls are recorded, which protects you too

This page is for information and does not replace a medical examination. If the condition worsens, call the crew: +7 (985) 887-82-52.

This page in Russian: Russian version.

Questions

Can I be discharged against my will?

Yes, if the doctor considers inpatient treatment no longer indicated; you are entitled to a discharge summary with the reasoning and can appeal to your insurance company.

How do I get a copy of my medical record?

A written application to the chief physician; copies or extracts are issued within 30 days free of charge. Electronic documents are available through the state services portal and EMIAS.

Where do I complain about a hospital in Moscow?

To the head of department, the chief physician, your compulsory insurance company, the Moscow Department of Health and the regional Roszdravnadzor office. The insurer is obliged to run a quality review.