Teenage Friendly

In summary, this means that:

• We welcome teenagers and aim to put them at ease when they come to the practice
• We can assure teenagers that confidentiality will be maintained if aged 12-16, and they ask to keep details of their consultations confidential or if they consult us about potentially sensitive issues
• Teenagers are welcome to see a Doctor on their own if they wish and are aged 12-16. We would however advise them to come with an adult where possible.

Sexual health advice is available, as is advice on other issues such as depression, drugs, alcohol and self-harm and we can advise teenagers about emergency contraception if required.

Can I see the GP or Nurse on my own?

Our doctors and nurses will listen to you and take your concerns seriously, sometimes, young people can find it more difficult than adults to talk about the underlying problem and the reason for seeing a GP.

As a young person, you can be seen on your own, with no lower age limit. Our reception staff can make an appointment for you to see a GP without a parent if you would prefer to.

If you come with a parent/carer/friend, you can still be seen on your own for part of the consultation while they wait outside.

People aged 16 or over are entitled to consent to their own treatment. This can only be overruled in exceptional circumstances.

Like adults, young people (aged 16 or 17) are presumed to have sufficient capacity to decide on their own medical treatment, unless there’s significant evidence to suggest otherwise.

Children under the age of 16 can consent to their own treatment if they’re believed to have enough intelligence, competence and understanding to fully appreciate what’s involved in their treatment. This is known as being Gillick competent.