A new campaign aiming to raise young people's awareness of their right to a confidential service in the NHS has been launched in Inverness.
One of the biggest barriers to young people visiting health services is the fear that their confidentiality will not be respected.
This latest initiative aims to raise young people's awareness that all NHS services offer this standard of care, unless a health professional has reason to believe there is a risk of serious harm.
Bill Alexander, Head of Children's Services, Highland Council and NHS Highland said: "On behalf of Highland Council and NHS Highlands, I would like to endorse ‘Walk the Talk’ and the 'We Keep it Zipped' initiative that seeks to raise awareness of issues around confidentiality for young people.
"The Getting it Right for Every Child values and core principles are at the heart of children's services in Highland. I would encourage wide uptake of the posters and information cards across the Highlands and Islands as part of our on-going commitment to meeting the needs of children and young people and delivering youth centred services."
The Walk the Talk programme aims to embed youth-friendly practice across the NHS.
The new campaign materials tested well with both young people and health professionals. Young people involved in the project commented that it would encourage them to talk to their GP if they had a problem.
Walk the Talk was developed in partnership with Health Rights Information Scotland (HRIS) and is supported by a number of professional agencies. The RNIB's Youth Forum Project - Haggeye - also played a strong role in making the information available in alternative formats.
Chris Ridley, Health Lead, Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC), Scottish Government said: "The Getting It Right for Every Child programme respects the right of children and young people to confidentiality.
"We are happy to be associated with this initiative, which highlights an important issue for children and young people across Scotland."
Last updated: 07 October 2009, 08:14
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