Planning your future health care

Respecting your wishes

St John of God Health Care strives to provide excellent health care and to achieve this, close co-operation between patient, doctors, nursing staff, allied health and pastoral service professionals is needed.

In order to respect your wishes in the context of being a Catholic health care provider, we will offer only those treatments which accord with your personal treatment decisions, the Catholic Health Australia Code of Ethical Standards for Catholic Health and Aged Care Services in Australia and relevant legislation.

Treatment decisions in Victoria

The Victorian Government recognises that people have the right to make – and have respected – certain decisions regarding their future medical treatment. To this end it has established a legal framework for people considering refusing, restricting or defining their future treatment preferences. This framework incorporates a Refusal of Treatment Certificate (RTC).

A RTC is a document outlining your wishes about future medical treatment in case a current known condition leaves you unable to communicate. It is not compulsory for you to have a RTC and many of our patients do not feel they need one. However, if you wish to know more about a RTC, please speak to your doctor or visit the Victorian Health Department website.

If you have a RTC or an Enduring Power of Attorney (Medical Treatment), please discuss them with your doctor and provide copies of the documentation to us.

We have also developed a guide that may assist you