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 email wareham.surgery@nhs.net to request a phone call.  Please put what you want to achieve in the subject line, e.g. phone call from a doctor.  Do not put any sensitive or personal information in the subject line such as your name or date of birth. These must go in the main body of the email with information on how we can contact you, such as a mobile phone number.

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

Anything you say to the doctor must be kept between the two of you, unless you agree otherwise.  The doctor will ask your permission before they share any information with anyone else, unless they think you are in danger or at risk of harm.  They may encourage you to talk to your parent or carer, or they may offer to talk to them on your behalf, if they think that the person caring for you should know what is going on so they can help or support you.

The only time a doctor can speak to someone else about you without your permission is if they think there may be a danger that your safety or the safety of someone else is at risk.  That doesn’t always mean that they tell your parent or carer, but they may want to speak to other people like the police or social services. In these cases, they should try to tell you first, so you know what’s going on.

ChatHealth

With the upcoming events in relation to COVID-19, we want you to know that ChatHealth will still be 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