Operations or courses of treatment may only be carried out with your consent. Taking circumstances and medical advice into account, it is up to you to decide whether you wish to undergo surgery or not. The only exception to this are situations that require immediate action, such as lifesaving measures, in which case we will notify you accordingly after the event. If you leave the hospital prematurely against medical advice or refuse a course of treatment, you do so at your own risk.

By making a patient decree, you guarantee that your wishes with regard to medical treatment will be followed in case you are no longer able to make your own decisions. In a patient decree, you can specify a person of your choice as your representative. The patient decree form is available from our legal department or can be downloaded online. Our doctors and specially trained nursing staff will be happy to offer you their support where necessary.

The designated representative is allowed to make decisions on behalf of a patient who lacks capacity of judgement. If there is no such representative, then the following parties are, one after the other, authorized to represent the patient: deputy, spouse, partner, children, parents, siblings. These parties must act according to the probable wishes of the patient when making decisions.

You have the right to inspect your medical records. You are also entitled to a copy of these records, provided this does not harm the interests of third parties. Your medical records contain details of diagnoses, tests and results, as well as therapeutic and care measures.

All members of staff at the hospital are legally bound to maintain confidentiality. Staff will treat all the details you give about yourself, your family and your illness as confidential. Only you may release individual members of staff from the obligation of confidentiality where necessary. This does not apply to the release from confidentiality on the basis of legal provisions.

We assume that you agree to us providing necessary medical information to your immediate family or to attending practitioners outside the hospital, or to us requesting this information as required. If this is not the case, we will respect your wishes accordingly.

We will not tolerate sexual harassment anywhere in our hospital. This applies equally to staff, patients and visitors alike. In cases of sexual harassment, please do not hesitate to contact our legal department.

Phone +41 61 265 21 05

Ethics at the hospital deals with patient requests, treatment obligations, borderline situations and making difficult decisions. Ethical issues at the University Hospital Basel should be discussed openly and as early as possible. Should you find yourself in a difficult situation and need support, our ethics advisors will be happy to help. Please ask the staff on your ward for their assistance in setting up an appointment.

In the event of your death, we will only perform an autopsy if you or your immediate family agreed to this beforehand. This does not apply to special situations when there are mandatory legal reasons for an autopsy.

The removal of tissues or organs for transplantation purposes can only go ahead with you or your immediate family’s consent. Your attending doctor will be happy to help if you have any questions or concerns about organ donation. Please bring your donor card with you if you have one.

The University Hospital Basel also carries out medical research. This research is of great benefit to both yourself and future patients at the hospital. For example, the latest research findings now allow us to make quicker diagnoses.

In addition, new and improved medication and newly developed treatment methods are more readily available. Taking part in clinical studies is a way to contribute to medical progress. Such studies may entail the evaluation of results and medical data that arise from your treatment. Academic staff encrypt and evaluate this information, meaning that neither your name or other personal details are disclosed. The relevant key is kept in a secure place at a separate location at the University Hospital Basel. If you do not agree to the use of your data for scientific purposes, you should contact your attending doctor. Your data will then not be used for research purposes.

We will only collect and use blood and/or tissue for research purposes with your consent. Patients at the University Hospital Basel are involved in clinical studies that focus particularly on testing and introducing new treatment methods or medication.

You may be asked to take part in a clinical study during your stay. You will not be included in any such study unless you give written consent. Research projects only go ahead after they have been examined and approved by the responsible ethics commission.