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Check in, Check up, Check Out!You may remember from our article "How you Doin'" that your health is very important and can affect all areas of your life. This article is the promised update on how to access health services. Now most of you will have those sorts of things arranged by your parents, but there will come a time when you need to know for yourself. You might be leaving school to go to college or university and this will be the first time you find yourself living away from home, possibly a long way from home too! |
The good news is that we have free access to medical services through the NHS (National Health Service). Many of the services will remain free to you if you are under 16 or under 19 and in full time education. There are other exemptions (reasons why you don't have to pay for things like prescriptions) and for more information you can check out the NHS website www.nhs.uk or ask you local GP, pharmacy etc.
Just like Connexions, there is also an NHS Direct where you can call for
advice 24 hours a day and speak to a professional. Now this is good idea if
you have issues that you want to talk about confidentially or if you just
need a bit of advice or contact details. It's not recommended if your leg
has just fallen off and you need emergency support!
You need to be registered with a local doctor. These are often called GP's (General Practitioners). You can get help with this from NHS Direct or look in the local telephone directory. It could also be a good idea, when you move to a new area, to speak to the locals and ask if they can recommend a doctors surgery. Once you have found one in your area, you can contact them for more information about getting registered. For students, you might also want to speak to your family GP about arrangements for term and non-term time, as you may be in two different places throughout the year!
Remember that it is best to make an appointment and if you can't get there, try and give as much notice as possible to the surgery. There will always be lots of other people who can take your appointment and avoid wasting the doctor's time.
It's not just doctors, many surgerys have nurses, health visitors, counsellors
and even complementary therapists! You don't always have to be ill to get
use out of the services on offer. Surgerys often have special clinics to
help with weight issues, smoking or even 'healthy living' check ups specifically
for young people. These provide you with an opportunity to speak to someone
about any stressful problems, sexual health issues, getting your blood pressure
and cholesterol checked and trying to work with the professionals to avoid
any illness in the future.
Obviously in an emergency you should always call 999, wherever you are. If you can make it to a hospital, you would need to go to the Accident and Emergency Room, which most hospitals have. It is a good idea, when you move to a new area, to find out where your local hospital is, because you never know when you might need it!
For many things, where you might need to specialist, your doctor will make a referral (write / contact the specialist on your behalf). You can't go directly to the hospital and ask for your appendix to be taken out….it just doesn't work that way! ;o)
If you have a hospital appointment, it is a good idea to set off in good time, take something to read and be prepared for a wait. Hospitals are very busy places and this can sometimes delay your appointment. You might also want to take someone with you, depending on what you are there for. A bit of support is always helpful.
If you need to stay in hospital, you will need to think about the things that you need to take in, such as clean clothes, toiletries, cash, books etc and any documentation that they have requested. Again, having someone to help will make it a lot easier for you. There are also people based at the hospital whether it be medical staff, volunteers, priests / representatives from a range of religions and other agency workers who may be able to help if you need support. Your nurse should be able to provide you with more information.
Don't forget your teeth! It is just as important to get registered with a dentist. You may have seen in the news that many areas are low on NHS dentists and many people have been unable to register. This is why you should make it your priority to get registered. If you have a dentist at home, and you tend to only visit for your yearly check -ups, it might be a good idea to stay with the dentist you have. However, if you need treatment in an emergency, this could make things more difficult for you. Talk to your current dentist about registration issues and get some advice.
The most important thing to remember is that if you don't attend your appointment, you are likely to be removed from the list and left with no NHS dentist! You can pay privately, but this can be quite expensive.
Whatever the situation, try not to be nervous. Doctors, nurses, dentists etc are all there to help you. If you find it all a bit stressful, talk to a friend, parent or Connexions Adviser before making the call or ask someone to go with you. Your health is important and will help you stay strong through all the other issues that young people have to face. Make sure you give yourself a good starting point!
Good Luck!
Jennie Glitherow
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