NH1 Are We Meeting the Needs of Young People?

Abstract

Background/introduction Research has shown that young people (YP) value services that provide easy access with confidential, prompt and comprehensive care. Healthcare professionals working in YP services need to be vigilant to vulnerabilities to child sexual exploitation (CSE) such as sexting: the sending of sexual images via mobile phone/social media. Methods We carried out an anonymous patient survey based on the “You’re Welcome” standards between November 2015 and March 2016 Results 54 surveys were included in the final analysis. Access: 16/54 (30%) were repeat attenders, 11/54 (20%) were referred by GP, 9/54 (17%) were recommended by a friend, 5/54 (9%) found the service via clinic website. Waiting time: 34/53 (63%) waited 30 minutes, 14/54 (26%) between 30–60 minutes. Confidentiality: 47/54 (87%) were made aware of the confidentiality policy. Services: 54/54 (100%) felt the clinic offered all the services they were expecting. 53/54 (98%) felt that the waiting room displayed information tailored to YP. Contraception was discussed in 33/54 (61%) of consultations and 22/54 (41%) were offered a local condom card. 54/54 (100%) of patients felt they would return to the clinic again in the future. Sexting: 25/54 (46%) had sent an image of themselves and 14/54 (26%) felt this had led to a negative outcome. Only 8/54 (14%), however, were asked about this during their consultation. Discussion/conclusion Our YP clinic evaluated well. A high proportion of these YP had engaged in sexting and acknowledged a negative impact on their lives. Few were asked about this, however, illustrating the need for ongoing training and support of HCPs working with YP around asking non-clinical questions, and being up to date with the constantly evolving face of CSE.