Young People

This page is dedicated to helping young people to access our services.  It is a work in progress, and we welcome any feedback and suggestions.

How to make an appointment

You can telephone the surgery on 01929 553444 to book an appointment with a GP.  You will be asked to confirm your name and date of birth, and you may be asked for a brief reason that you need to speak to the doctor, e.g., anxiety, back pain, period problems, etc.  This is to enable the doctor to triage their calls.  Alternatively, you can complete the form above to request a phone call.

When you can see a doctor alone

You can visit the doctor at any age about any issue to do with your physical or mental health.  There is no reason why you can’t ask to see the doctor by yourself.  The doctor may want to find out why, and they might encourage you to tell your parent or carer.  If you book an appointment yourself, we note in the appointment reason ‘booked by the patient’ so the appointment should not be disclosed to a parent/carer.

Confidentiality

As a general rule the information shared in a consultation stays between the GP and the patient EXCEPT when the GP thinks the shared information suggests you are at risk of harm or that your actions may be a risk to others.  This is called a safeguarding issue and the GP is obliged by law to share their concerns with the local safeguarding team.  This is to ensure you and others are kept safe and get you appropriate help.

In your consultation the GP may suggest you share a problem with parents/carers/friend or offer to get you support from a group such as NSPCC, but this is up to you unless the concern reaches a safeguarding threshold.

ChatHealth

ChatHealth is available for young people aged 11-19 years old to access Monday – Friday 8.30 – 4.30 (not Bank Holidays), whether schools are open or closed, for any queries or concerns around emotional health, physical health, sexual health, family, exams, relationships etc

ChatHealth number – 07480 635511

Kooth (click to access website)

Your online mental wellbeing community

Free, safe and anonymous support

RUOK? (click to access the website)

A recent survey carried out by Dorset Youth found that over 40% of young people in Dorset either didn’t know (21.3%) or weren’t sure (19.2%) how to access mental health advice.

To tackle this, Dorset’s Suicide Prevention Group launched RUOK?, a new campaign for Children’s Mental Health Week highlighting the wide range of mental health support available to children and young people in Dorset. This includes 24/7 crisis support, NHS services and support provided by local charities.

We want to make sure that children and young people in Dorset always know where they can go to get support in a way that works for them. Find out more about the services available RUOK? – Public Health Dorset – Dorset Council.

And finally…

we welcome your feedback and would be really grateful if you could complete the survey compiled by our Youth Participation Group.  Please click on the link