Health advice
As you prepare to leave school you will be getting ready for new and exciting challenges. This will include taking more responsibility for managing your own health and wellness needs.
You will be able to take a more active role in some health activities which previously your parents or carers may have arranged for you.
This could include things like:
- booking health appointments
- speaking to health care professionals for advice
- accessing sexual health services
- monitoring your own health and knowing when to get help
- ordering medications or buying some medications from a pharmacy
Sometimes it is tempting to search your symptoms on the internet, but it is best to use a recognised source such as the NHS website.
It will be helpful for you to know how to do these things and who can support you.
Young people over the age of 16 can consent to their own treatment and see a healthcare professional without an adult (there are special rules for young people under 16 seeking medical advice around if they fully understand the treatment).
It is always a good idea to tell the adult who cares for you about medical concerns if you feel safe to do so.
Find more information about consent to treatment.
What to do in an emergency
Call 111 or get help from 111 online if you need urgent help for your mental health or need medical attention but it's not a life-threatening situation. NHS 111 can tell you what to do next.
Call 999 for severe and life-threatening emergencies. Accident and emergency (A&E) is for serious injuries and life-threatening emergencies. These are things like heavy bleeding, choking and seizures.
