Teens and Young Adults

We aim to offer services which are ‘teenage-friendly’ and provide a warm and welcoming environment for teenagers and young people to discuss their health needs and any concerns they may have. In summary this means:

• We welcome young people and aim to put them at ease when they come to the practice.  Young people aged under 16 are encouraged to come with an adult where possible but may see a Doctor on their own if they wish.
• Anything you discuss with any member of the practice will remain confidential and not be repeated to family members, care workers or teachers without your permission.  The only reason we might consider passing on confidential information without your permission would be to protect either you or someone else from serious harm.  In this situation, we would always try to discuss this with you first.

Appointments

How do I make an appointment?
 

You can either telephone the surgery on 01395 222777, pop in and speak with one our receptionists or book an appointment online using the NHS app.

You can either ask for a face to face appointment with a doctor / nurse or a telephone consultation when the doctor / nurse will phone you back.

Chlamydia

We offer Chlamydia screening; it is easy to do and doesn’t involve any embarrassing examinations.  You take the sample; for boys it involves providing a sample of urine. The results will be sent directly to you and you can choose how you receive the results, ‘phone call, e-mail, letter, text to mobile phone. Please come and ask for this easy test to be done.  To find out more information about symptoms and treatment please see the NHS website.

If you are worried about sexually transmitted infections you can either see a doctor or nurse.  If you don’t want to see a doctor or a nurse in Exmouth then you can contact:

NHS Sexual Health and Contraceptive Service
NHS Walk-in Centre, 31 Sidwell Street, Exeter, Devon, EX4 6NN

Tel: 01392 284982/3 for an appointment in Exeter or Exmouth

 

Contraception

We offer contraception support and advice.  If you are considering your options please contact us for an appointment to discuss. 

Free condoms for under 25s can be provided from:

• Us, Haldon House Surgery, 37-41 Imperial Rd, Exmouth EX8 1DQ
• The Hive, Exmouth Young Peoples Centre, 61 Imperial Road, Exmouth
• Sexual Health Clinic, Dewdney Unit, Exmouth Hospital, Claremont Grove

For further information on contraception please visit the NHS website.

 

Emergency Contraception

Please be bold and ask for an appointment and explain that you require emergency contraception (morning after pill), so that you can be contacted as soon as possible.

Emergency contraception isn’t just for the Morning After. Although it is most effective within the first 24 hours, it can be taken up to 5 days after unprotected sex or condom failure. If it is more than 5 days since having unprotected sex or a condom failure, please get in touch with us to discuss your options.

For more information about emergency contraception please see the NHS website.

 

Can I see a doctor or nurse without my parents if I am under 16?

Yes, you can, although if you are unwell then we would encourage you to bring someone with you for support.

If you want to talk about personal issues and do not want to bring a parent then you can come alone, bring a school friend or your partner.

 

Will you keep my information confidential?

Yes.  Confidentiality is very important.  If you are under 16, you still have the same rights to confidentiality as anyone else and you will not be treated any differently.  Please read this guide by the Department of Health:

DOH Guide to consent for children and young people.

If you are still worried you can call your doctor’s surgery without telling them who you and ask for a telephone consultation with a doctor or a nurse for advice.

How do I get test results?

When you have a test done ask the doctor or nurse how to get your results and how long it will take.  If they are abnormal the doctor will contact you so please let us know how best to reach you. 

If you do not want us to contact you under any circumstance then please let us know and you can phone the surgery direct to get your results.

Free Listening Services

These services offer confidential support from trained volunteers.  You can talk about anything that’s troubling you, no matter how difficult:

• Call 116 123 to talk to Samaritans or email jo@samaritans.org for a reply within 24 hours
• Text “SHOUT” to 85258 to contact the Shout Crisis Text Line
• Call 0800 585 858 to talk to Calm (if you’re 15 years old or over) or use CAL< webchat, both available from 5pm to midnight every day
• Call 0800 068 4141, text 07860 039967 or email pat@papyrus-uk.org to contact HOPELINE247, available 24 hours a day

If you’re under 19, you can also call 0800 1111 to talk to Childline.  The number will not appear on your phone bill.

These services will only share your information if they are worried about you or think you are in immediate danger.

These services will only share your information if they are worried about you or think you are in immediate danger.

Mental Health support 

Help in a crisis:

If you are aged under 18, you can now access the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) 24/7.  Please contact 03300 245 321 during office hours (8am-5pm, Mon to Fri) or 0300 555 5000 outside these hours.  Callers will speak to a call handler; their call will be forwarded to a voicemail service and their message will be returned within one hour.  In the event of an emergency please call 999. 

You can also make a self-referral to Children and Family Health Devon here for help

If you are aged 18 or over please visit this link or call 0300 555 5000 anytime.

Feeling stressed, anxious or depressed:

If you are under 18 you can get information and support from Children and Family Health Devon here and make a self-referral here or Kooth offers digital support via and online mental wellbeing community and offers 1:1 text support.  To find out more visit their website.

If you are aged 18 or over, you can self-refer to Talkworks.  This is a confidential free counselling service. 

You can of course access help and support from us at Haldon House Surgery.  Please complete an online consultation at any time (you need to be over 16) or call us.

Young Devon

Young Devon is a charity that works in a variety of settings to change the odds in favour of young people.  They concentrate on four main areas:

Skills – they offer

• Work-based learning and Independent Living Skills courses
• Princes Trust
• Mentoring

Wellbeing - they provide

• Wellbeing support, counselling, mentoring and group work for 11 - 18 yrs
• Support for Victims of Crime
• Homeless Prevention services in Teignbridge Exeter and East Devon.

Housing – they provide

• Supported Lodgings accommodation for young people in Host families
• Supported Housing placements in a range of locations

Participation

• Youth Council
• Advocacy services

Visit the Young Devon website here.

Young Carers

A young carer is someone aged 18 or under who helps look after a relative with a disability, illness, mental health condition, or drug or alcohol problem. If you’re a young carer, you probably look after a family member or friend of the family.

If you’re not sure if you are a young carer you can give Devon Carers a call and chat through your situation. Below are some useful links to young carer support and information:

Devon Carers - Am I a Young Carer page

Devon Carers - About caring page

Young Carers | Westbank

Useful Links:

• AIDS / HIV
• ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder)
• Acne
• Drug and alcohol - advice and support. Under 18 / Over 18
• Child Bereavement UK – a website for young people who are grieving, as well as information on how to support a young person.
• Eating disorders
• Hope Again – is the youth website of Cruse Bereavement Care.  A safe place where you can learn from other young people, how to cope with grief, and feel less alone
• Self Harm
• Childline – information, advice and support 
• Domestic Sexual Violence and Abuse
• Drugs & Alcohol – advice and support. Under 18 / Over 18
• Frank – honest information about drugs and alcohol including vaping
• General Teen Advice
• Happy Maps – is a website with mental health resources for parents and carers and young people and children all in one place
• Kooth – Free mental health support with online counsellors
• Learning Difficulties – advice and support 
• LGBT Support
• Men’s Health
• NHS
• NHS Every Mind Matters – a range of mental health advice with an interactive quiz that’s designed to help you feel more in control of your emotional mental wellbeing.
• Papyrus – A mental health charity dedicated to preventing young suicide.
• Parental Minds – The online home of Parental Minds. Supporting you to support them.
• Pregnancy – it’s normal to worry about what to do, the Devon Sexual Health service can help. 
• Puberty – what to expect during puberty.
• Quitting Smoking – support and encouragement for anyone aged 13+, from their own stop smoking advisor
• Sexual Health – information and links to free confidential clinics in Exeter, Okehampton and Tiverton 
• Stem4 – a charity that promotes positive mental health for teenagers and encourages them to build resilience and manage difficult emotions with online resources.
• Young Minds – a mental health charity that provides support, advice and resources for young people in supporting their mental health.

 

Any Suggestions or Complaints?

If you feel you have a suggestion to improve our website or the practice or a complaint about us please contact us via our email address:

d-icb.haldonhouseadmin@nhs.net

 

School Nurse text service for 13-19 year olds

Text to 07520 631 722

 

Children at Risk

If you know of a child being at risk of harm please contact the police on 999 or 101. If you wish to speak to someone at the Devon Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) the number is, 0345 155 1071. Children can contact Childline at any time to get support themselves on 0800 1111.

Barnados have also set up See, Hear, Respond as a hub of information and a support line they can be contacted on 0800 157 7015 or through Barnardos support hub

For concerns around internet safety please contact Thinkuknow they have a report abuse section. Call the O2 NSPCC Advice Line on 0808 800 5002 for advice on apps, sites, games and online safety. If you're worried about something a child or young person may have experienced online, you can contact the NSPCC helpline for free support and advice. Call them on 0808 800 5000, see the NSPCC website, or contact us online

Exmouth Community Larder will continue to offer support and can be contacted at : Exmouth Community Larder Salvation Army Hall, Sheppards Row, EX8 1PW info@exmouthlarder.co.uk 07787882075/07749322291. Open Door will also be supporting families over the summer, they can be contacted on 01395 224218.

If a child or young person (under 18) is experiencing a mental health crisis, you can now access Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) 24/7. Please contact 03300 245 321 during normal hours (8am-5pm, Mon to Fri) or 0300 555 5000 outside these hours.

Callers will speak to a call handler, their call will be forwarded to a voicemail service and their message will be returned within one hour.

Young Devon can help with accommodation support for young people. YES Centre and Homelessness enquiries: For any YES Centre questions, or Homelessness enquiries (Exeter, East Devon and Teignbridge), please email yes.exeter@youngdevon.org If you would prefer to text, please send your name and message to 07894724610.