Young People

Young people using our servcies

If you are 16yr and over you may book your own appointments and see us on your own.

If you are under 16y we prefer you are accompanied by a responsible adult but we are always willing to talk with you or see you confidentially, if you prefer not to involve your parent or guardian.

If a decision has to be made about your care, involving treatment or a referral for instance, we would always encourage you to talk with your parent or guardian. Sometimes you may not want to though we would want to discuss this with you and offer to help you do this or do it for you if you preferred. If you still wanted it to remain confidential and we were happy that you understood all the issues and were mature enough to make this 'informed' decision we would respect your choice, though if legal issues such as exploitation or abuse were involved or your safety was at stake, we may be obliged to report it.

Access to medical records

Up to age 11yr parents are assumed to have access and control of the child's records and services and parents have 'proxy' access and control.

After 11yr, in the best interests of that child, parents may retain this facility. However, children and young people under the age of 16y may, if considered 'Gillick competent' or 'Fraser competent', be able to give their own informed consent. Working out what degree of 'competence' a young person may have to decide their own level of consent is often difficult and will require careful discussion and consideration in each case.

Young people over the age of 16yr have the automatic right of consent, unless considered inappropriate: they can allow or refuse permission for someone else to access their records and services on their behalf.

Young Peoples' Health

There's lots of advice out there but it can be confusing and sometimes just wrong.
A safe place to start is the NHS.UK site - full of great info., regularly updated.

Here's a useful guide for GP services for young people

Mental health & wellbeing support and information for young people and parents

A confidential service, provided by the NSPCC, offering support for children and young people on a wide variety of problems.

Free, safe and anonymous online support for young people for any mental health issues

Online & phone support service for young people - from mental health to money, homelessness to finding a job, break-ups to drugs.

Talk to Frank for honest straightforward info. and help with drugs

All about young peoples' relationships -advice, counselling, workshops and support face-to-face, by phone and online

Helping children and young people understand domestic abuse, and how to take positive action

The leading mental health charity for young people in North West London. Professionals supporting young people with a wide range of issues.

NHS Go is a confidential health advice and information App and website for 16-25 year olds.

The urge to self-harm is like a wave. It feels the most powerful when you start wanting to do it. Learn to ride the wave with this free app and the urge to self-harm will fade.

Self-harm is difficult to talk about but it’s a common problem and you can beat it. Find out what to do if you think you’re affected by it.

This app teaches parents and children together about meditation for different age levels. Focussing on Calm, Kindness, and Bedtime.

Help & advice with all types of eating disorders.

Empowers young people to make informed choices about their mental health and wellbeing - from the Anna Freud Centre

Advice for teens growing up - sex, relationships and stuff like consent, STDs, contraception, feelings

Supporting children and young people
after the death of a parent or sibling.

Advice about sexual health and wellbeing for young people and staying safe

Supporting brothers and sisters of disabled children and adults

Deaf- friendly info for children and young people

The latest tips, advice and resources to help young people stay safe and positive online.

Children with healthcare needs at school

If you child has a medical condition which needs special consideration at school - maybe extra support or knowledge of what to do to ensure your child is safe at school, then having an Individual Healthcare Plan in place will help give you assurance that your child is being looked after and responded to appropriately according to their health needs. Most schools do not have appropriate Medical Conditions Policies in place to support children with long term health conditions and yet it is a statutory requirement. if your child has a long term condition - maybe diabetes, epilepsy, severe asthma or allergies and so on - then you should talk to the school and ask about their arrangements and whether they have a policy and to suggest drawing up an Individual Healthcare Plan for your child.

About Individual Healthcare Plans to be drawn up with the school (and maybe your child's medical specialists or GP input)
Here is a template Individual Healthcare Plan

The Health Conditions in Schools Alliance produces some excellent information and acts as a lobby and focus for improving the way the educational services cater for the health needs of children.

Disclaimer This website is to inform our patients of our services and provide general educational material concerning health. Any information, opinions, data or images are provided in good faith for the interest and benefit of our patients and not for any commercial gain. We are not offering professional advice concerning the particulars of any individual's health and cannot be responsible for the accuracy of the information presented or the content and reliability of information on linked external sites and request that you make your own judgements and use the information at your own risk. We cannot always keep all the information up to date, though we try our best. If you have any concerns about any of the content on this site, broken links etc please contact us.

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