We are listening – to Young People

Hello my name is,

Geraldine,

I’m Associate Director of Nursing, and the Family Nurse Partnership Lead for NHS Lanarkshire.

I’d like to tell you about some of the areas we are reviewing as a result of feedback from young people.

NHS staff supported by Youth Workers met with more than 30 young people aged between 12 -18 at the Bellshill Cultural Centre in April. The purpose of the event was to allow young people to tell us about their experiences of NHS services.

You shared experiences with us about going to your local doctor (GP), being admitted to hospital and using mental health and sexual health services. You also told us that it was important to have a good range of information available about tobacco, alcohol and drugs.

You told us that our services were not always young-person friendly and highlighted two areas we should look at to try and improve across NHS Lanarkshire:

Communication - you find it scary and embarrassing to access health services because:

• You don’t always feel listened to, particularly if accompanied by a parent
• You are worried about confidentiality – you think staff will tell your parents
• You don’t always understand the medical terms that are used
• You’d like more communication with healthcare staff using social media

Information – you want easy access to information:

• More self-help information – such as stress, self esteem
• Service information – where and when services are provided
• Clearer information on posters
• Access to health and lifestyle information – safer sex, pregnancy, tobacco, alcohol and drugs

We have shared your feedback widely with healthcare staff throughout Lanarkshire and asked them to think about how they can change the way they communicate with you. To speak to you directly and in a way you will understand, maybe by using more lay-person terms and less medical terms.

You should not be worried about confidentiality. Healthcare staff will only share information with other healthcare workers involved in your care or treatment, usually with your permission; or with an adult if they think you are at risk of serious harm or in danger. You can find out more by reading the factsheet for young people “Confidentiality – your rights”, click here It will link to the NHSinform website:

We are presently reviewing our website and sub-sites with a view to having a section for young people. If you would like to help us with this you can complete a short survey online through Survey Monkey via this link and please remember to tell us your age: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7PVZBWP

We will continue to listen and involve young people so that they can help us shape and develop our services and how we deliver them.

You can follow us on Twitter @nhslanarkshire or like us on Facebook.

If you are aged between 12 and 18 and would like to tell us about your experience of our services you can speak to a member of staff, respond on Patient Opinion, or visit the “Your Feedback” Section of the NHS Lanarkshire website to see the other ways to get in touch www.nhslanarkshire.org.uk