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Health: the rights and duties of the patient
The law guarantees the free choice of the health professional and of the establishment; none can be imposed on the patient. This right applies within the limits of reception capacity and if the establishment's organisation does not prevent it.
Key points of the sheet
- Medical secrecy (secret médical) protects all the information known by the health professional, even after the patient's death. Shared medical secrecy lets professionals exchange information to give good care.
- The professional can share information to declare births, deaths and certain serious or contagious diseases. Outside this framework, breaking medical secrecy is punished by law.
- Before and after a procedure, the doctor must explain the risks, even rare ones, unless the patient is not able to receive this information. After a medical accident, the victim must be informed within 15 days of the discovery of the damage; everyone can ask for a copy of their medical file.
- The patient cannot impose on the hospital a medical choice or procedure against the protocols or the organisation of the public service. This applies whether the reasons are religious, philosophical or personal. A request against the principle of secularism (laïcité) can be refused.
- A circular of 2 March 2006 includes the Charter of the hospitalised person (Charte de la personne hospitalisée). The public hospital service is open to everyone, and establishments pay attention to relieving pain.
- The information given to the patient must be accessible and honest, and the hospitalised person takes part in care choices. A medical procedure needs their free and informed consent, and they can refuse any treatment.
- A specific consent is provided for, in particular for biomedical research: agreement is given in writing and a refusal does not change the quality of care. Except where the law says otherwise, the person can leave the establishment at any time, after being informed of the possible risks.
- The hospitalised person is treated with consideration and has direct access to their health information. They can be heard by a manager of the establishment and ask for compensation, out of court and/or before the courts.
Words to know
- free choice of practitioner (libre choix du praticien)
- It is the right to choose your health professional and your place of care.
- medical secrecy (secret médical)
- It protects all the information known by the health professional, even after the patient's death.
- shared medical secrecy (secret médical partagé)
- It is the sharing of information between health professionals to give good care, defined by law.
- medical file (dossier médical)
- Everyone has the right to access their medical file and to ask for a copy.
- trusted person (personne de confiance)
- It is a person freely chosen by the hospitalised patient to assist them.
- free and informed consent (consentement libre et éclairé)
- A medical procedure can only be carried out with this consent of the patient.
- advance directives (directives anticipées)
- In them, an adult expresses their wishes about the end of their life.
- principle of secularism (laïcité) (principe de laïcité)
- At the hospital, a request against this principle can be refused.
Test yourself: 3 questions
Who chooses a patient's health professional?
In French, the language of the exam: Qui choisit le professionnel de santé d'un patient ?
The law guarantees that everyone freely chooses their health professional. No practitioner can be imposed.
After a medical accident, within what time must the victim be informed?
In French, the language of the exam: Après un accident médical, dans quel délai la victime doit-elle être informée ?
The professional or the establishment must inform the victim within 15 days of the discovery of the damage.
Where does an adult express their wishes about the end of their life?
In French, the language of the exam: Où une personne majeure exprime-t-elle ses souhaits sur sa fin de vie ?
Any adult can express their wishes about the end of their life in advance directives.
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More in this topic (Health)
- Access to care: the general practitioner
- Access to healthcare: the care pathway
- Access to care: on-call doctors and pharmacies
Source
Sheet “Santé : les droits et les devoirs du patient” of the French Ministry of the Interior: formation-civique.interieur.gouv.fr. Content published under the Etalab Open Licence 2.0. This page is a plain-language adaptation made by Hexaciv, which is not an official site: if in doubt, the ministry's text is the one that counts.
Ministry sheet read on 23 October 2026, still identical on 25 October 2026.