The Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights and the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities: Convergence and Divergence

The Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights (ACHR) was developed by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care to provide a nationally agreed statement of the rights of patients. The Commission considers that a uniform statement of patient rights is a basic requirement for safe and high quality care, and contributes to a more patient focused health care system. The Charter allows patients, consumers, families, carers, clinicians and services providing health care to share an understanding of the rights of people receiving care. This provides a basis for a genuine partnership to achieve the best possible outcomes. All health ministers endorsed the ACHR in July 2008, and it now provides the national framework for patient rights in Australia.