🔒 CONFIDENTIALITY MATTERS

You have the right to private and confidential healthcare — even if you’re under 16.

You can talk to a doctor or nurse alone about things like:

• Feeling low or stressed 
• Relationship worries
• Contraception or sexual health

Your information is kept private unless:

• You agree for it to be shared, or
• A clinician believes you’re at serious risk of harm

If something must be shared to keep you safe, we’ll explain:

• What we’re sharing
• Who we’re telling
• Why it’s needed

🏥 REGISTERING WITH A GP

• 13 or over? You can register yourself.
• Under 13? A parent or carer needs to register you. Find local GP surgeries on the NHS website.

📞 MAKING AN APPOINTMENT

You can:

• Call the surgery
• Use Engage Consult online for non-urgent issues.

You can say “it’s personal” if you don’t want to explain the reason.

You can also ask for:

• A male or female clinician
• A chaperone 
• A friend or family member to come with you

🚶 WHEN YOU ARRIVE

• Check in at reception or the self-check-in screen
• Find the right floor
• Take a seat and wait to be called

😟 FEELING EMBARRASSED OR NERVOUS?

Totally normal. Our clinicians deal with all kinds of issues every day — nothing is too awkward or too small.

🔄 DON’T CLICK WITH A CLINICIAN?

That’s okay. You can ask to see someone different next time.

🌈 YOUNG PEOPLE’S APPOINTMENTS

We want you to feel:

• Comfortable
• Listened to
• Respected
• Confident speaking openly

💬 HELP US IMPROVE

Got ideas? Tell us through the Contact Us link or join our Patient Participation Group (PPG). Your voice helps shape the future of our practice.

What does NHS England have to say?

Children and young people (CYP) up to 18 years old make up one-fifth of the UK’s population. Improving their health and wellbeing is an investment in future generations and the prosperity of this country. NHS ambitions for improving the health and wellbeing of children and young people in England are wide ranging and you can read about the programme here.

Your Health • Your Choices • Your Rights

🏥 REGISTERING WITH A DOCTOR

✔️ Aged 13 or over

You can register with a GP by yourself. Find local GP surgeries on the NHS website: Find a GP Surgery.

Find a GP

✔️ Under 13

A parent or carer needs to register you. It’s usually best to register at the same practice as your parent or guardian.

📞 MAKING AN APPOINTMENT

You can request an appointment by:

• Calling the surgery

The receptionist will ask:

• Who the appointment is for
• A brief reason (you can say “it’s personal”)

Your request will be reviewed by a clinician. Depending on your needs, you may be offered:

• A GP
• An Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP)
• A Clinical Pharmacist
• A First Contact Physiotherapist

You can also ask for a male or female clinician if that helps you feel more comfortable.

💻 USING ENGAGE CONSULT (ONLINE REQUESTS)

You can send us a message online for:

• Symptoms
• Non‑urgent questions / admin queries

A clinician or admin team member will review your message and decide the best way to help — phone call, face‑to‑face appointment, or text advice.

How to use Engage Consult:

1. Click the Engage Consult link https://www.highgladesmedicalcentre.nhs.uk/engage-consult
2. Create an account or log in
3. Complete the online form
4. Submit — we’ll get back to you as soon as possible

🚶 WHEN YOU ARRIVE FOR YOUR APPOINTMENT

• Check in at reception or use the self check‑in screen
• Check which floor your appointment is on
• Take a seat and wait for your name to be called

😟 FEELING EMBARRASSED?

Don’t worry — our doctors and nurses deal with all kinds of health issues every day. Nothing is too small, too awkward, or too personal. Just ask what you need to know.

🌐 NHS APP (AGE 16+)

If you’re over 16, ask reception for an Online Access form and we’ll set up your account. You will be asked to provide photo I.D for the initial set up.

👥 WHO CAN COME WITH ME?

You can:

• Come on your own, or
• Bring a parent, carer, friend, or family member

👤 SEEING A DOCTOR BY YOURSELF

Yes — you can ask to see a clinician alone. They may encourage you to involve a parent or carer, but they should respect your feelings if you don’t want to.

📱 MAKING APPOINTMENTS WITHOUT SPEAKING TO SOMEONE

If you feel anxious:

• Tell us — we’ll do what we can to help
• Bring someone you trust for support
• Try Doc ready for tips on preparing for appointments 

🔄 WHAT IF I DON’T LIKE A CLINICIAN?

That’s okay — sometimes personalities don’t match. You can request to see someone else next time, and we’ll do our best to arrange it.

⚧️ ASKING FOR A MALE OR FEMALE DOCTOR

You can request this at any time. Because we use a triage system, your first contact may be with a male GP — but tell us your preference and we’ll try to accommodate it. For urgent issues, we may need to offer whoever is available to ensure you get help quickly.

🌟 How Do You Wish to Be Known?

We want to make sure we address you in the way that feels right for you. If you have a name you prefer to be called, let us know — we’ll update our records so we can greet you with your chosen name.

We have two different locations. If you are unable to get to one of these locations please let us know at the time of booking.

 9A Upper Church Road

St Leonards on Sea

East Sussex

TN37 7AT

 Get Directions

St Leonards Medical Centre

126 Bexhill Road

St Leonards on Sea

East Sussex

TN38 8BL

 Get Directions

Online Consultation Service

Patients are now able to use a new service to contact the practice about medical or administrative queries. The new system is called Engage Consult and you can start using it by clicking on the link here and completing your registration details.

Not all medical queries will require a GP appointment, however where an appointment is required a member of the practice team will be in contact to arrange a phone call or face to face consultation. 

Engage Consult services for High Glades Medical Centre - Engage Consult

Other Useful information and Helpline Websites

East Sussex Sexual Health

Hastings Clinic | East Sussex Sexual Health

Freephone Number 0300 013 2050

Scan QR Code or Click here

ChildLine: Childline is here to help anyone under 19 in the UK with any issue they’re going through. Whether it’s something big or small, our trained

·         counsellors are here to support you. Childline is free, confidential and available any time, day or night. You can talk to us:

By calling free on - 0800 1111

or contact us via our confidential email which you can sign up for when you visit our website www.childline.org.uk

• Samaritans: The Samaritans provide emotional support for anyone feeling down, experiencing distress or struggling to cope. We’re there for people when they need us, which could be any time of day or night. People talk to us for as long as they like, as many times as they like. We don’t rush, interrupt or push anyone out of the door. We let people lead the conversation at their own pace. There’s no waiting lists, and no assessments.

Samaritans is free, confidential and available any time, day or night. You can talk to us:

By Calling free on - 116 123
Email - jo@samaritans.org

• Papyrus: Papyrus is a charity for the prevention of young suicide, offering confidential support and awareness training. If you are a young person at risk of suicide or are worried about a young person at risk of suicide please contact us.

By calling free on 0800 068 41 41
Email - pat@papyrus-uk.org
Website - www.papyrus-uk.org

·         The Mix: The Mix is the UK’s leading support service for young people. We are here to help you take on any challenge you’re facing - from mental health to money, from homelessness to finding a job, from break-ups to drugs. Talk to us via online, social or our free, confidential helpline. Our help is free and confidential or all young people under 25.

Call us free on 0808 808 4994

Crisis Messenger - Our crisis messenger text service provides free, 24/7 crisis support across the UK. If you are experiencing any painful emotion or type of crisis in your life, you can text THEMIX to 85258.

Website - www.themix.org.uk

·         Mental health support for young people:  This page is about support services for young people and children in East Sussex. They are not crisis or emergency services. 

Mental health support for young people | East Sussex County Council

·         Young Minds:  The Uk’s leadning charity fighting for a world where no young persons feels alone with their mental health.

YoungMinds | Mental Health Charity For Children And Young People | YoungMinds

·         Healthwatch East Sussex : Healthwatch East Sussex gather people’s views of health and social care services in the county and make sure they are heard by the people in charge. We also provide a free information and signposting service to help people access, understand, and navigate the health and care in East Sussex Children’s & Young People – Healthwatch East Sussex

• CXK - The Youth Employability Service (YES) has gathered useful links, information & guidance for Young People across East Sussex who are not in employment, education or training (NEET) CXK Resources: East Sussex - Resources for Young People

·         Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND) https://www.sussex.ics.nhs.uk/your-care/children-in-care-and-care-leavers/carers-of-children-with-send-or-disabilities/

·         NHS Online – Young Carers : If you're a young carer, friends and relatives are often the first people to turn to for help with problems. Talking things through with them can be really helpful. Help for young carers - Social care and support guide - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

      Before downloading any apps, it’s important to read the terms and conditions carefully. Some apps may require payment or include in-app purchases, so double-check before you download.

Click on the QR codes to explore the apps to help managing the anxiety:

• Molehill Mountain Molehill Mountain | Autistica a free app to help autistic people understand and self-manage anxiety;

Scan QR Code or Click here

• Clear Fear Home - Clear Fear App (stem4.org.uk) - learn to reduce the physical responses to threat as well as changing thoughts and behaviours and releasing emotions; a free app recommended for 11 to 19-year-olds;

Scan QR code or Click here

Worry Box WorryBox | Burn Your Anxiety (worryboxapp.com) Letting go of negative thoughts and worries (suitable for younger children app advises 4+);

Scan QR code or Click here

Self Help App for the Mind (SAM) Self-help App for the Mind (SAM) | Self-help App for the Mind (SAM) (mindgarden-tech.co.uk an app to support young people to understand and cope with anxiety Explore the apps to help managing your mood:

Scan QR code or Click here

• MoodTools MoodTools - Feeling sad or depressed? Lift your mood with free, evidence-based tools: Designed to help you combat low mood and alleviate your negative moods;
• Mood  Track Mood tracking journal and diary for iOS and Android track how you feel and look back to see your moods over weeks, months, and years to learn about yourself; 
• Smiling Mind Smiling Mind App — Smiling Mind The Smiling Mind app is a good choice if you have young people you want to introduce to meditation;
• Sorted Teens Sorted Teens – Sorted Mental Health For 10–15-year-olds and supports development of emotional regulation, self-esteem, resilience, and goal-focused motivation.