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Young people’s rights when seeing the GP
Everyone has rights when seeing the GP, which include confidentiality (privacy) and being seen on their own if they want.{media 66046}Young people's rights also include:...
Health services such as Accident and Emergency (A&E), sexual health clinics, walk-in centres, and out of hours services don’t need a GP referral. When people have a health problem that can’t be dealt with by the GP because it needs more specialised knowledge, skill or equipment than the GP has, they are often referred to hospital. The GP decides what kind of specialist the patient needs to see and contacts them on the patient’s behalf to get them an appointment – this is called a ‘referral’. GPs can also refer patients to other health care services that aren’t hospital-based, such as physiotherapists. People can also be referred for counselling.
When Emma had been feeling tired and run down for several weeks, she went to see the GP. After taking a urine sample, the doctor diagnosed her with type 1 diabetes and referred her to hospital that very day. Although it was shocking for Emma to learn that she had a long-term condition, she felt that it was good to be referred to hospital straight away. Isaac was also referred to hospital quickly when he went to see the GP about a mole on his arm. The doctor was reassuring in what could have been a very worrying situation.
Sometimes a referral can take what feels like a long time because it may not be obvious what is wrong and whether it needs further investigation. Minor conditions will often get better on their own. Jalé saw several GPs over a few months because of tiredness and stomach pain, and doctors felt that the most likely cause was stress. At one appointment, though, the GP diagnosed her with a muscular back pain and also found a walnut sized lump in her neck. The doctor referred Jalé for an ultrasound scan. After the scan, Jalé went back to the GP and was told that she had several nodules on her thyroid. Because of these, the thyroid would need to be removed. A few months after surgery, when Jalé was still feeling very tired and had pain in her stomach, arms and legs, she was referred to hospital again:
Everyone has rights when seeing the GP, which include confidentiality (privacy) and being seen on their own if they want.{media 66046}Young people's rights also include:...
Here, people talk about: what is counselling? being referred by the GP for counselling referral to other services counselling services at college and university What...