Teenage Resources

 

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This page is designed to offer young people information around your rights and what to expect when going to see your GP/Practice Nurse. We will never tell you what to do, we will help you to get better and explain everything to you along the way. 

You can come and see us about a range of issues including:

  • Physical health
  • Emotional well-being- mental health issues such as feeling low and anxiety etc.
  • Sexual health
  • Drug and alcohol issues

Update your contact information

 

Making an Appointment?

We understand that sometimes making an appointment with a GP is difficult.  We also understand that you are busy and it's not always as easy as just making an appointment! As a result we there are different ways you can make an appointment with us.

Our phone lines are open between 08:30 and 18:30 so we hope you can find the time to ring us. You will not need to tell the receptionist what the appointment is for unless you need to be seen the same day, in which case you will be asked for a brief explanation.

You can also make a routine GP appointment online. Go to this page to complete this form to register this. This will allow you to view parts of your medical record.

You can also use the NHS App to order repeat medication and find available appointments here at the surgery. To use the NHS app you must be 13 years or over and registered with a GP surgery in England.

Young people have the same right to confidentiality as adults.  This means that when you visit us we are not allowed to share what you talk about. So, we will not tell your parent(s)/guardian(s).  The only time we will ever break this confidentiality is if you may be at risk of serious harm or abuse.  In this instance, we will talk to you through the action that we need to take.

 

How can I get the most from my appointment?

We know that some people don't feel comfortable going to their GP so we've put together a list of your rights which will hopefully help you get the most out of your appointment.

  • You can bring someone with you to your appointment or you can be seen on your own
  • You have a choice about which GP you see and you can choose who you want to see
  • If you have a bad experience with a particular GP you have a right to ask for a different GP next time
  • You don't have to have students and trainees in the room with you and we will always ask you.
  • You will get more from your appointment if you are able to be honest with your GP and it might help to plan out what you want to say.

We understand that talking about something that is worrying you can be really difficult.  The below link may be useful in helping you prepare for your appointment:

DocReady is a really useful website a really useful website which has been designed by young people and helps you get ready for your GP visit. 

 

I'm not ready to speak to my GP, are there any other places I can go for support?

We understand that talking to someone can sometimes feel like a really tough thing to do. If you don't want to come in and see us you can always ask for a telephone call instead. We are always here to support you but if you are not ready, you may find the below resources helpful. Please never feel alone in any of you concerns, regardless of how small or big you think they are.

 

What happens to the information I tell you, do you keep a record of it?

The healthcare professionals will keep records of any health care and any treatments you received, this is known as your medical records. To find out more about your medical record and how you can access it we have created the below Fact Sheet.

 

Your Medical Records Information Fact Sheet

We keep records about your health so we can look after you. The health care professionals will keep records about any health care and any treatments you receive, this is knows as your medical record.

What information is recorded?

Records we hold about you may include the following.

  • Details about you: your address, your date of birth, your contact details & any emergency contacts
  • Appointments: we keep a record of any contact we have had with you, such as appointments and what those appointments were for.
  • Hospital letters: this may be the result of an x-ray you had in hospital or a letter from a hospital consultant regarding any treatment you are having with them.
  • Test results: for example, if you have had a blood test with us we will records the results.
  • Other health professionals: any information from other health professionals caring for you.
  • Immunisations: If you have had an injection we will keep a record of this.

How do you keep this information safe?

  • Private and Confidential: We will always treat the information on your medical record as private and confidential.
  • Sharing only with others involved in your care: We will only ever use or pass on information about you to others involved in your care if this is important for your treatment (for example, with a hospital consultant).
  • Your permission: we will not give your information to anyone else without your permission unless there are exceptional circumstances (i.e. a life and death situation) where the law requires information to be passed on. 

Can I see my medical records?

You can ask to see your medical records whenever you like. The best way to view your medical records is through the NHS App. This way, you can just access your records when it suits you.

What if I'm not happy with something I've read in my medical records?

If you feel something has been recorded which is not correct it is important you contact us and we can discuss the next steps with you. We will always work hard to fix things if anything has gone wrong. If we have done something you are not happy with you do have the right to complain and again we can guide you through this process too.

Do I need to do anything?

When it comes to your medical records there are 2 really important things you can do to help.

  1. Make sure we have the right contact details for you. For example, if you move or your phone number changes it is really important that you tell us.
  2. Respond to us if we write to you. If we write to you or ask you to contact us (for example if we write to you requesting you update your contact details) please respond to us. It's really easy for letters to find their way to a bottom of a bag so please respond to us as soon as you can so this doesn't happen!

Is there anything else I should know?

There are many laws and guidelines in place that we follow in order to protect you and give you the best level of care. These laws and guidelines can be very complex so this fact sheet aims to provide you with the key information. If you would like to know more about it though there is lots of information out there and searching for information on 'The General Data Protection Regulation' (GDPR) is a good starting point.

From the age of 13 you can consent to your own healthcare and the processing of the information that we hold for you. As a result we will take out all mobile numbers from your records when you turn 13 and ask us to provide you with your own personal mobile number. We would still like to keep your parent(s)/guardian(s) contact details, if you're happy for us to do so, for emergency situations.

I still have questions, who can help? 

If you have any questions please contact us and we will do our best to help you. You can phone us, e-mail us or drop us a note. Our details are on our contact us page

We are here to give you the best care that we can. Thank you for helping us to do this.