Article 16 of the Saudi Healthcare Professions Practice Law
المادة 16 من نظام مزاولة المهن الصحية
The article allows the healthcare practitioner to decline to treat a patient for acceptable professional or personal reasons, except in critical or urgent cases.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
للممارس الصحي - في غير الحالات الخطرة أو العاجلة- أن يعتذر عن علاج مريض لأسباب مهنية، أو شخصية مقبولة.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 16 explained in plain English
This article gives the healthcare practitioner a limited right to decline to treat a patient, and sets two conditions for it:
- The refusal must be for acceptable professional or personal reasons, as mere unwillingness is not enough.
- The case must not be critical or urgent, as in those cases declining is not permitted.
The article does not list the acceptable reasons, which is a matter of judgment depending on the circumstances. But it is understood from the text that the reason must be a professional or personal one that is acceptable, not arbitrary.
If the patient's condition is critical or urgent, the practitioner may no longer decline to treat them, even if they have a professional or personal reason.
This article is connected to Article 15, which requires diagnosis with the necessary care and giving the patient what they request about their condition, and to Article 17, which likewise gives the practitioner the right to decline to continue treatment if the patient or relatives ask for another practitioner whom they did not see a need to consult or with whom they disagreed. Anyone refused treatment who believes the refusal had no acceptable reason may consult a lawyer specialized in healthcare practice and medical malpractice cases.
Practical example
A dermatologist at a private clinic in Jeddah has a full appointment list, and a new patient asks for an urgent appointment for a minor, non-serious skin problem. The physician may decline for an acceptable professional reason such as a full schedule. But if a person in a critical condition arrived, he could not decline to treat them.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Frequently asked questions about Article 16 of the Saudi Healthcare Professions Practice Law
Can a doctor refuse to treat a patient?
They may decline for acceptable professional or personal reasons, provided the case is not critical or urgent.
May a doctor decline to treat an emergency case?
No. The article excludes critical or urgent cases from the right to decline.
More articles on Patient Rights and Consent to Treatment
- Article 15
The article requires the healthcare practitioner to carry out diagnosis with the necessary care using suitable technical means and those the case calls for, and to give the patient what they request about their condition and test results, accurately and objectively.
يجب على الممارس الصحي أن يجري التشخيص بالعناية اللازمة مستعينًا بالوسائل الفنية الملائمة، وبمن تستدعي ظروف الحالة الاستعانة بهم من الأخصائيين أو المساعدين، وأن
- Article 17
The article requires the treating practitioner to alert the patient to the need for a consultation and to agree to the patient's request for one, and allows the practitioner to decline to continue treatment if they see no need for it or disagree with the consultant.
يجب على الممارس الصحي المعالج- إذا رأى ضرورة استشارة ممارس صحي آخر- أن ينبه المريض أو ذويه إلى ذلك، كما يجب عليه أن يوافق على الاستعانة بممارس صحي آخر إذا طلب ا
- Article 18
The article requires the practitioner to alert the patient or relatives to follow instructions and warn them of the consequences of not doing so, and leaves the physician to judge whether to disclose an incurable or life-threatening illness unless the patient forbids it or names who may be told.
يلتزم الممارس الصحي بتنبيه المريض أو ذويه إلى ضرورة اتباع ما يحدده لهم من تعليمات وتحذيرهم من خطورة النتائج التي قد تترتب على عدم مراعاتها بعد شرح الوضع العلاجي
- Article 19
The article requires patient consent or that of a representative or guardian before any medical work, requires intervention without consent in the specified emergency cases, and prohibits ending the life of a patient with no medical hope of recovery.
يجب ألا يجري أي عمل طبي لمريض إلا برضاه، أو موافقة من يمثله، أو ولي أمره إذا لم يعتد بإرادته هو، واستثناء من ذلك يجب على الممارس الصحي- في حالات الحوادث أو الطو
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.