Article 18 of the Saudi Healthcare Professions Practice Law
المادة 18 من نظام مزاولة المهن الصحية
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
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، أو الجراحي وآثاره.
وللطبيب في حالة الأمراض المستعصية أو التي تهدد حياة المريض بالخطر- أن يقدر وفقًا لما يمليه عليه ضميره مدى ملاءمة إبلاغ المريض أو ذويه بحقيقة المرض وذلك ما لم يكن المريض قد حظر عليه ذلك، أو عين شخصًا أو أشخاصًا يقتصر الإبلاغ عليهم.
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 18 explained in plain English
This article deals with informing the patient in two respects:
First: instructions and warning. The healthcare practitioner must alert the patient or relatives to the need to follow the instructions the practitioner sets for them, and warn them of the seriousness of the consequences that may follow from not observing them, after explaining the treatment or surgical situation and its effects. The explanation comes before the instructions.
Second: incurable or serious illnesses. In the case of incurable illnesses or those that endanger the patient's life, the text leaves it to the physician to judge, as their conscience dictates, whether it is appropriate to tell the patient or relatives the truth about the illness. But this judgment is bound by the patient's will:
- If the patient has forbidden the physician from telling, the physician does not tell.
- If the patient has named a person or persons, telling is limited to them.
So the patient has the final word on who knows the truth about their illness, if they have expressed it.
The article is connected to Article 17 on the patient's right to bring in another practitioner, and to Article 19, which requires the consent of the patient, their representative or guardian before any medical work except in the emergency cases it specifies. Anyone with a question about a particular case may consult a lawyer specialized in healthcare practice and medical malpractice cases.
Practical example
A man in Jeddah was diagnosed with a serious illness, and had told the physician beforehand that he does not want anyone but his wife to be told of any diagnosis. In this case the physician's telling is limited to the wife alone, and he may not tell the man's children or brothers the truth about the illness.
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 18 of the Saudi Healthcare Professions Practice Law
Must a doctor tell the patient about their serious illness?
The text leaves it to the physician to judge, as their conscience dictates, whether to tell the patient or relatives the truth about an incurable or life-threatening illness, unless the patient forbids it or names those to whom telling is limited.
Can a patient prevent the doctor from telling their family?
Yes. If the patient forbids the physician from telling or names specific persons, the physician must comply.
What is the doctor's duty in explaining treatment?
To explain the treatment or surgical situation and its effects, alert the patient or relatives to follow the instructions, and warn them of the seriousness of not observing them.
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 16
The article allows the healthcare practitioner to decline to treat a patient for acceptable professional or personal reasons, except in critical or urgent cases.
للممارس الصحي - في غير الحالات الخطرة أو العاجلة- أن يعتذر عن علاج مريض لأسباب مهنية، أو شخصية مقبولة.
- 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 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.