BMJ  2005;330:901-903 (16 April), doi:10.1136/bmj.330.7496.901

Education and debate

Young people's health: the need for action

Russell M Viner, consultant in adolescent medicine1, Maggie Barker, head of public health and effectiveness2

1 Department of Paediatrics, Royal Free and University College Medical School, University College London NW3 2PF, 2 Great Ormond Street Hospital London NHS Trust, London

Correspondence to: R M Viner R.Viner@ich.ucl.ac.uk

Engaging adolescents with their health can prevent a lifetime of bad habits and should be a priority for an efficient future health service

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Introduction

It is easy to understand why a national sickness service, as the NHS has been described,1 might choose largely to ignore young people. The common perception is that young people are rarely ill. However, in setting out its plans for the NHS, the government is now calling for a shift to a service focusing on the whole of health and wellbeing.2 3 The national service framework for children, young people and maternity provides a lever for local change, but securing the short and longer term gains in population health and reducing health inequality will call for a much keener focus on the health of young people.

Background

Before the government's 2002 spending review, Derek Wanless was asked to consider what would be required to provide high quality health services in 20 years' time. Wanless showed that the least expensive future scenario, and the one that also gave the best health outcomes, was . . . [Full text of this article]

Where are we now?

Need for engagement

Coexistence of adolescent health problems

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Current health service responsiveness to young people

Achieving youth engagement with health

Achieving change


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