What are the barriers to making appointments or visiting health services?

I don't like it when you phone up the doctors and the receptionist asks you what's up with you. And she's like 'oh that's not really that important'. So . . . they don't give you an appointment for it and you have to go and deal with it yourself . . . but you, you do think it's important. Young female

The barriers that I've found especially when going into places like pharmacists, from a girls point of view, going in with sort of embarrassing things like thrush or a urine infection and stuff like that, I feel it's quite a public place to . . . openly admit that to someone. Maybe if there was a kind of special room that you could go into if you didn't feel comfortable, I think that might be slightly easier for some people . . . especially things like the morning after pill and stuff like that. It's not always something that you'd want to admit to the pharmacist never mind to whoever's standing in the queue next to you. Young female

The fact that the appointment times, you actually have to phone at eight o clock or half past eight in the morning to get an appointment on that day . . . and with me being homeless and not having the money to phone at that time, because I've got to use a payphone then I can't get an appointment. Young female

I think that the main barrier for young people accessing health services is probably the receptionist. I hate phoning my doctor . . . 'cause I find the receptionist isn't very friendly and they're very brief and if someone's plucked up the courage to phone a doctor about an issue that they have, which is quite hard in the first place, then sometimes it can be really off putting. Young female

What are your main concerns about visiting health services?

Services like condoms and stuff aren't . . . like . . . embarrassing wee things like when you go with somebody and you find you've got crabs or something like that and you're scared to say to the doctor or scared to say to the nurse. Young male

It can be a bit embarrassing explaining whatever problems you have and that. Young male

What kind of health concerns do young people have and what can services do to make it better?

I think like, mental health there's a big problem for children and young people today, alcohol, sexual health as well and I think that it could be made better by having more accessible information. So like you know if you go into the GP surgery or whatever when you're waiting if there was more leaflets and things about it. Young female

I think one of the problems about mental health and young people is that people aren't educated enough as to what causes depression, what causes people to self harm and that means that the problems can't be resolved as effectively. Young male

I think that when I go in personally, there's a lot of leaflets up and notices on the notice board but none of them are aimed at young people. I'd say that on issues like smoking and drugs as well it'd be really useful. The only leaflets I really see on either is the cessation for stopping smoking leaflets or notices on the notice board. You don't really see anything aimed at young people about, who are thinking about it or want to explore the issues on it. Young female

Well, when young people ask questions when they want to find stuff out and they're asking about it, don't make them feel like it's a silly question and that they should already know the answer to it. And do explain it, don't just tell them and then expect them to figure it out and know what you mean, explain things to them properly. Young female

I guess maybe better advertising, if the NHS could advertise their services a bit better for young people maybe within the right channels, magazines and things like that, I'm sure there is probably a lot of stuff there but, maybe more local services. Young female

What would you like health care staff to think about when young people are visiting?

One thing you get just now is you get a lot of magazines intended for older people and you get a lot of toys for children. But there's nothing in the middle so maybe something for young people to come in, like, if they had internet access, it would be a good idea for that, for young people to come in and feel comfortable to just sit there and have something to do while they wait. Young male

You don't get like any magazines for guys or that, like sports magazines or car magazines, stuff like that would be nice to have in waiting rooms for guys. Young male

I think with young people there's more of a paranoia of the negative happening and what would happen when you go to use a service could be the fear that they don't understand and they don't support you whereas that's not always the case. Young male

Be nice to them, be comfortable with them, have a nice chat with them, it doesn't need to be like an hour long, just big smiles and just be nice basically. Young female

I think they have to remember it's not . . . that easy to go to the doctor and ask them things like, especially things like sexual health, you can't . . . If you're going to ask somebody, it's taken you quite a lot of courage to go up and speak to them so they could be maybe a little bit more understanding. Young female

Like myself, I'm actually non-body confident and when I have a doctor have a look at me I'm actually unconfident about them looking at me because of how I am. Young female

Not just to kind of look at it as a clinical thing but overall, consider maybe other issues that are going on in their life as well. Young female

And also if there were other ways for young people to get in touch, like if there was a young person's phone line, like a number directly for them where they know they're going to talk to someone who'll make them feel comfortable enough to talk about the issue that's important to them. Young male

What is your own experience?

I went to the doctors and I was having lots and lots of tests done, and they referred me to the hospital and the tests continued. And all this time they never really told me what I was being tested for so I grew more and more worried about what I might have wrong with me and it turned out it was just migraine. And I think doctors just need to tell people what's going on and keep the patient informed. Young male

When I found out I was pregnant the, the doctor was really sympathetic actually and she was really understanding and I wasn't judged at all. I guess to some doctors I might of been quite young, I was 22, so I found that very helpful. Young female

The most recent appointment that I've had with one of the doctors in the surgery, I had a few problems with communicating what I was trying to say to her and she was actually patient with me and I've noticed that some other doctors aren't that way. Young female

My bad experience of health services was when I was experiencing a few emotional problems and I wasn't in the right state of mind, I had a home visit and a nurse came round to see me and told me that I spoke tripe. I became disengaged with the services, stopped going to appointments and then they thought it was because I just didn't want to accept treatment but it was just because that they thought my problems were insignificant. Young female

I had been admitted into the hospital for spotting, just a bit of bleeding. And obviously when you go in there it is a routine to ask if it was like after intercourse. I'd already stated to two midwives that that wasn't the case, so that was fair enough, they were checking for other things. I got admitted overnight, and in the morning the consultant had came round and, it was in front of everyone in the ward and he kind of said, 'oh have you been up to naughty business', when I'd already stated to two midwives before that that wasn't the case and I just felt like if I was a 30 year old woman sat there, that that just wouldn't have happened. I think that it was inappropriate for him to say in front of all them women that . . . assume that that's what had happened when obviously in the notes was already stated that I had said it wasn't the case. I just felt as if I was a bit, I was a bit embarrassed by it. Young female

What would make a good health service for young people?

Just one that will relate to young people and that have involved young people when they're creating the services. Young male

It can be quite difficult to get access to information at secondary school and especially if you go to a catholic secondary school, there are some things that just aren't taught as part of the curriculum because it's not part of their belief system. So it's not wise to assume that the young person knows everything about what they want to talk about, you might have to just tell them rather than assuming that they'd know and not telling them. Young female

Just somewhere that you can go and have a more relaxed chat instead of some sort of clinical atmosphere that makes you feel uncomfortable. Young male

Doctors should have a longer surgery time so people can go after school. Young male

If school nurses could spend more time in schools then pupils might feel more confident in going to speak to them. Young male

I think a, good practice measure that's in place . . . is the mock patient sessions that are in use, so I go along and I'm a mock patient and it helps the nurses to speak to the patient and make sure they've got a problem then they can sort of speak to them and relate to them, and I think that training should be in place for doctors as well as nurses. Young female

It'd be good if they just had a doctor for younger people. Young male

More relaxed and all that and just make it more easy to make appointments and when your in the waiting room just make it more, like TV on , just make it more relaxing, more magazines out. Young female

I also think more initiatives directly aimed for young people like C cards and things like that would help young people feel more comfortable. Young male

It's very important for all young people to know that they can go and speak to someone in a confidential environment. Our school took in a counsellor recently and within a week she was booked up for the next nine months, which just shows how important is it and how needed a resource she was. Young male

Here's some simple things to think about for your health service.

• Remember, it can be intimidating for a young person Be Welcoming Don't be judgemental Listen to me Explain things Advertise services available Display your confidentiality policy Speak to me, not the adult with me Make the waiting room more interesting Involve young people

What improvements can you make?

• Remember, it can be intimidating for a young person
• Be Welcoming
• Don't be judgemental
• Listen to me
• Explain things
• Advertise services available
• Display your confidentiality policy
• Speak to me, not the adult with me
• Make the waiting room more interesting
• Involve young people