Your Care
Your treatment and care should take into account your personal needs and preferences, and you have the right to be fully informed and to make decisions in partnership with your healthcare team (this could include your GP, practice nurse or cardiologist). To help with this, your healthcare team should give you information you can understand and that is relevant to your circumstances. All healthcare professionals should treat you with respect, sensitivity and understanding and explain infective endocarditis and the treatments for it simply and clearly.
The information you get from your healthcare team should include details of the possible benefits and risks of particular treatments. You can ask any questions you want to and can always change your mind as your treatment progresses or your condition or circumstances change. Your own preference for a particular treatment is important and your healthcare team should support your choice of treatment wherever possible, but if you are a child or young person this does depend on your age. If you are over 16, or under 16 and fully understand the treatment, you may be able to give your own agreement. If you are too young, your parents or carers may need to agree to your treatment.
In an emergency, if the person with parental responsibility for the child can’t be contacted, healthcare professionals may decide to provide treatment that is immediately necessary in the best interests of the child.
Your treatment and care, and the information you are given about it, should take account of any religious, ethnic or cultural needs you may have. It should also take into account any additional factors, such as physical or learning disabilities, sight or hearing problems, or difficulties with reading or speaking English. Your healthcare team should be able to arrange an interpreter or an advocate (someone who supports you in putting across your views) if needed.
If you agree, your family and carers should have the chance to be involved in decisions about your care. Family members and carers also have the right to the information and support they need in their roles as carers.
If people are unable to understand a particular issue or are not able to make decisions for themselves, healthcare professionals should follow the advice that the Department of Health has produced about this. You can find this by going to the Department of Health website (www.dh.gov.uk/consent). Your healthcare professional should also follow the code of practice for the Mental Capacity Act. For more information about this, visit www.publicguardian.gov.uk
