Review article
https://doi.org/10.30925/zpfsr.46.3.10
The Normative and Institutional Framework of Patients’ Right to Complain: The Croatian Model and European Standards
Saša Zebec
orcid.org/0009-0000-2867-7580
; The Teaching Institute of Public Health “Dr. Andrija Štampar”
*
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
The paper examines the protection of patients’ rights with a particular focus on the institute of complaints, viewed through the Croatian administrative law framework and in comparison with European standards. It explores the normative and institutional regulation of the patients’ right to complain, issues related to special administrative procedures, compliance with the provisions of the European Charter of Patients’ Rights, and a comparison with models of patient complaint mechanisms in selected European countries. Special attention is given to the legal mechanisms of protection, the functionality of the existing system, and the role of commissions and patient representatives within regional and local self-government units. The paper is based on the hypothesis that the Croatian system is formally aligned with European standards, but does not always provide reliable and effective protection of patients’ rights due to unclear and confusing legal provisions. The current complaint protection system in the Republic of Croatia is not based on a unified procedural framework, but is instead implemented through several separate procedures before different competent authorities. The paper synthesizes the key findings, evaluates the functionality of the existing system, highlights inconsistencies and deficiencies, and provides guidelines and recommendations for improving the normative and institutional framework for the protection of patients’ rights.
Keywords
complaint; objection; special administrative procedures; European Charter of Patients’ Rights; Health Care Act.
Hrčak ID:
341037
URI
Publication date:
15.12.2025.
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