Healthwatch: Young people’s voices on healthcare services

On this week’s blog, we hear from the team at Healthwatch Barking and Dagenham on what they’ve heard from local young people accessing health and care services. As one of FaithAction’s local projects, Healthwatch Barking and Dagenham works within FaithAction’s home borough as a health and social care champion, feeding local voices through to NHS leaders and other decision makers.

In recent months, Healthwatch have actively engaged with several groups of young people within Barking and Dagenham, aged 13-24, to gather their insights and experiences on local healthcare services. The young people we spoke to told us about the importance of accessibility and responsive services. This blog summarises their experiences and highlights the improvements that young people want in order to improve healthcare services.

General Practice (GP): Accessibility and services

For many young people, their initial point of contact with the healthcare system is via their GP. The young people we spoke to shared their frustration about the accessibility of these services, including difficulty in securing appointments, long telephone waits and restrictive appointment schedules.

One individual expressed, ‘They don’t listen, it feels like the door is being shut on me. Went back and forth with the GP for 5 months despite injuring myself in a bike accident’.

Numerous young people voiced concerns that telephone consultations made it difficult for them to receive the patient centred care they require, with many preferring in-person visits to fully address their health issues.

Overall, young people have a mix of experiences regarding the quality of care provided. While some had positive interactions with their GPs – feeling heard, supported, and well-treated – others felt dismissed, especially around mental health issues ‘not taken seriously’ or for conditions that need further exploration. For instance, one young person stated the frustration of being unable to get a diagnosis for ADHD. These cases highlight the need for GPs to offer timely, comprehensive consultations to allow young people to voice their concerns in a calm and trusted environment.

Secondary Care: Hospitals

The young people told us that their perspectives on hospital services, particularly in urgent care and A&E settings, are often influenced by long waiting times to be seen. Many felt dissatisfaction due to delays, leading to a feeling of being “ignored” or “undervalued”. One young individual shared their experience of waiting 36 hours in A&E for a brain scan, describing the anxiety caused by a long wait.

On the other hand, some had more positive encounters with secondary care, with medical staff being described as attentive and understanding; ‘The doctor was very nice, asked a lot of questions, and issued a prescription’.

While the positive feedback described clinical care, others felt that their experience could have been improved if the staff had been clearer with their communication, for example, updating them on the waiting times, in order to avoid unnecessary anxiety and distress.

LGBTQ+ young people

Other issues were raised when talking to LGBTQ+ young individuals, who reported instances of feelings of being misunderstood, discriminated against and a breakdown in communication with healthcare professionals.

One young person said, ‘Some people can be very homophobic in health settings, I am transgender man, and I was refused to be treated in A&E’.

Some young people told us that they feel unwelcome and unable to discuss sensitive topics with healthcare professionals: ‘I don’t know my GP very well so I would not feel comfortable discussing my issues about my sexuality’.

Mental health

Mental health services are an area of concern for young people, with many feeling that their emotional struggles were not taken seriously by healthcare professionals, saying: ‘I need counselling for my mental health, but I cannot even get a doctor’s appointment to be referred here’. Additionally, one young person described how they felt ignored by the Children’s and Young People’s Mental Health services (CAMHS), with repeated appointments where they were told the same things without meaningful support.

Ultimately, these young people’s experiences show the vital need for accessible and empathetic care across all healthcare sectors. While some have had positive encounters, others feel alienated and ignored. Healthcare services must ensure they meet the unique needs of young people, so that they feel heard, respected, and fully supported in their healthcare journeys.

Overall, these findings highlight that young people want more choice and control over their healthcare, and a system that provides holistic treatment that is sensitive to their background or beliefs. Access to mental health support is a big concern for young people, and this is especially concerning given the surge in young people’s mental health issues since the pandemic.

Healthwatch Barking and Dagenham will continue to encourage young people to voice their views on health and social care – get involved with your local Healthwatch here.