Young People @16 – managing medical records

As you will soon be turning 16 there will be a change in how we manage your health information and confidentiality.

At the age of 16, you will have the right to full control over your own medical records and healthcare decisions. You will be expected to “have capacity” to look after your healthcare on your own, ie. you are treated the same as an adult.

At this point parent and guardian access to your medical records automatically stops, and the GP surgery must get your consent before sharing your information (in almost all situations).

However many young people, like to have a parent or guardian help manage your health.

You can ask your GP surgery if you want your parents or guardians to have access so they can:

• deal with your healthcare so you do not have to worry
• do practical things like getting medicines and organising appointments
• make sure you get the best care if you’re sick

BUT you will need to specifically give us permission to do this.  The easiest way is to use the online form below, but you can write to us if you prefer. 

Contact details: Currently your medical record probably has the details of a parent as the main contact. We can update your file to add your details instead.

If you wish for your parent/guardian to remain as your main contact then you will need to give us consent to share information with them.

We want to respect your privacy and support your growing independence in managing your health. If you have any questions about confidentiality, consent, or this update process, please don’t hesitate to reach out.  You can also read more here: https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/gps/gp-services-for-someone-else-proxy-access/