Change NHS: What Young People Told Us

What Young People Told Us

We spoke to members of Youth Out Loud! who told us what they think about the 'three shifts'. YOL! identified what they would like this to look like, the worries they have about the changes and the barriers they currently face to leading a healthy life. 

Moving more care from hospitals to communities

Some members of YOL! were not comfortable with tests being completed at school, but could see how it would benefit other students if that’s what they prefer.

Others pointed out the benefit of less work happening within a hospital and relieving the stress on hospitals, but worried about where extra staff (if needed) would come from.

"Ambulance assessment sounds very good at cutting pressure in A+E"

The Ambulance assessment plan means the patients get the best care for them. For example, they might receive care in their home from the paramedic, be sent to a service other than the hospital or be admitted straight to the hospital ward rather than A&E.

Making better use of technology

YOL! made a few suggestions about how they would use technology to help the NHS. These included:

• The barcode on your wrist at hospitals could be scanned and new results automatically uploaded to your records.
• Use it to encourage better health
• Show people how to do CPR in an emergency
• Sharing information on how to stay healthy, maybe via an app

YOL! liked that the NHS will use technology to share records, but one member raised that they would like to be notified when this happens so they can see where their information has gone and who has accessed it.

"A centralised NHS database would be extremely helpful. It would prevent people needing to say the same things over again, and prevent people from forgetting to mention things if they have a complex medical history."

When asked about using AI to look at scans and test results YOL! said they did not want AI to take full responsibility for checking tests and scans. They have suggested that AI is only used if a Dr asks for help from AI or if AI is used first a medical professional checks for accuracy.

"I would want a doctor to go over it first, then AI if needed"

"it should be used in combination with human checking"

The group did not mind having online appointments, as long as there was not a potential for checking vital signs such as heart rate, blood pressure and other things. There was an acknowledgement that it could be hard to get right, for example, having an online meeting and realising you need a face-to-face follow-up, or having a face-to-face meeting and realising it could have been online only.

"I am happy to have online appointments depending on the problem"

"online can be useful as just a quick check-in"

The group were asked about an NHS app which could give you advice on looking after your health based on information given, such as medical history, weight, heart rate etc. The group said they would happily use the app.

Preventing sickness, not just treating it.

We asked YOL! about current barriers to making healthy choices. Most did not think they had any barriers to making healthy choices. One pointed out concerns over healthy options available to them at schools. 

There is also concern about the choices young people make when choosing food during social outings. They shared that young people choose their food based on how quick it will be to cook and eat, rather than how healthy it is.

In a previous YOL! meeting, members shared that young people choose food based on price, with unhealthy options being cheaper than the healthy options.

The group felt they have plenty of access to outdoor spaces and no huge barriers to exercise, but one member of the group pointed out that if you wanted to take sport seriously this can be expensive.

"There is some opportunities to exercise but can be super expensive if you want to do it properly"

When asked about encouraging young people to make healthy choices a few members suggested creating more awareness of the long-term consequences of unhealthy choices. Another suggestion was using social media to promote healthy choices.

We asked YOL! what early intervention they think would help young people manage their mental health. Members spoke about encouraging young people to support each other in a non-direct way. Meeting up to do something they enjoy, without mentioning that they are there for their mental health. Such as a trip to the shops.

"I would educate them by helping them realise they’re not on their own."

Other ideas included access to someone confidential to speak to and also raising awareness of what support is available within schools.

Overall YOL!  members liked lots of the ideas and plans for improving the NHS. There are some things people would prefer to be able to opt out of, even though they think it could be a good idea for others.

Healthwatch Kingston has shared this feedback with Change NHS so local voices are heard and we can help shape a healthcare system that works for everyone.