Young people who had been in care since their early years do not always have access to information such as relevant family medical history or even how much they weighed at birth. In response to this, Arts for Health Cornwall in conjunction with care leavers and health and social care professionals has developed a ‘health passport’.
The need was identified by the Children in Care health team for young people to have access to their health information as they make the move to independent living. The health passport is designed to give them relevant information, stored in one place, and to make registering with a GP or other health professional easier.
We spoke to young people who had been in the care system about what they would want from such a document. Calling the document a ‘Health Passport’ came from one of the young people involved in the consultation, and this title helped us to develop the style and tone of the document. The people we talked to were very clear that they wanted something which had some weight and importance and spoke to them as adults.
The passport is designed to be completed at a ‘health exit’ interview between the young person leaving care and one of their health team and the information included in it is determined by what the young person wants. It includes space for their NHS number, birth information and several pages which can be completed with details of medical history, regular medication, contact details for GP, dentist and other health professionals, together with a pocket at the back for their immunisation record and any other loose-leaf information, all securely held with an elastic closure.
The passport is available in four colours and has been very well-received to date – everyone who has come into the office and seen them wants one for themselves! We will be evaluating its use over the next two years.