Children, young people and safeguarding-sensitive requests

Requests about children and young people require careful handling. Parents and guardians commonly support care, but as young people mature their confidentiality, safety and capacity to be involved become increasingly important.

Do not assume parental access is unlimited

Parents or guardians will often arrange care for younger children, but information about sexual health, mental health, safeguarding, pregnancy, domestic abuse, substance use or family conflict may need a clinician or safeguarding review before it is shared.

The same caution applies to online and proxy access. A parent requesting full access to messages, results or appointment history might be a routine request or could indicate a risk to the young person's confidentiality or safety.

Online visibility can change risk

Young people and families may use shared phones, linked profiles or proxy access. Information safe in a private consultation can become unsafe if appointment names, messages or notes are visible to a parent, partner or carer.

Reception staff do not need to resolve clinical confidentiality questions, but they should identify when a third-party request needs clinician, safeguarding or records advice before changing access or sharing information.

Pause and escalate when

• The young person has asked for privacy or safe contact.
• The request relates to sensitive health information.
• There is family conflict, coercion or safeguarding concern.
• The record contains warnings about proxy access or online visibility.

Requests about children and young people often need to balance parental involvement, confidentiality, safeguarding and clinical judgement.

Country-specific safeguarding