Department of Health National Service Framework

for children, young people and maternity services

This guidance requires that:

All health services develop policies which take account of the needs of young people, and include addressing issues of confidentiality, copying young people in to clinical correspondence or writing to the young person; and wherever possible, by the holding of personal health records by young people.
Health, education, social care and other services develop policies and good practice guidelines to be followed by all practitioners, on young people's rights and professionals' responsibilities for consent and confidentiality.

Health, education, social care and other services for young people produce, and clearly display, a confidentiality policy which makes clear the duty of confidentiality and care to young people, including those under 16, as set out in the Royal College of General Practitioners Confidentiality and Young People Toolkit. Staff are able to explain the implications of these policies to young people.

Young people have rapid access to emergency contraception, for example, through community pharmacy schemes, and walk-in centres.
Young women have early and easy access to free pregnancy testing, unbiased advice and speedy referral for NHS funded abortion or ante-natal care.
Primary care services, particularly general practice, deliver a comprehensive sexual health programme.

Young people have access to age appropriate services as they make the transition to adulthood.