Can I get a second medical opinion, and must my doctor support this?

Seeking a second medical opinion is a widely recognised and generally supported aspect of patient autonomy within good medical practice in Malta, and while there isn't necessarily a single specific statutory provision framing this as an absolute formal 'right' in isolation, it aligns closely with the broader principles of informed consent and patient-centred care that registered practitioners regulated by the Medical Council under the Health Care Professions Act, Chapter 464 of the Laws of Malta, are generally expected to respect, meaning a reasonable doctor should not obstruct or penalise you for seeking additional clinical input on your own diagnosis or treatment plan. In practice, you can generally seek a second opinion from another qualified doctor, whether within the public healthcare system or privately, without necessarily needing your original doctor's formal permission, though it is often practically helpful, and generally good practice, to request a copy of your relevant medical records and test results to share with the second doctor, so they have the necessary information to provide a properly informed assessment without unnecessarily repeating tests. If you feel your original doctor is being genuinely unsupportive or obstructive about your reasonable wish to seek a second opinion, this is worth raising directly with them, and if it continues to feel inappropriate, it's a pattern that could be relevant background if you ever needed to raise a broader concern about that doctor's conduct.