We at Morrab Surgery offer a CONFIDENTIAL service for young people, dealing with general health problems as well as contraception and sexual health. All of our staff are trained to ensure that information about you and any care or treatment you receive from us remains confidential. Please see our CONFIDENTIALITY POLICY.
Girlie Things
Our doctors and nurses are happy to answer your questions about ANY problems you can think of. Don’t forget our staff have a lot of experience with many different problems and are hard to shock.
Please feel free to ask us any questions, no matter how embarrassing or awkward. Common problems we deal with include questions about development at puberty – breasts and periods, advice about contraception, troubles with friends or family, and feelings of being down or lonely
Boys Stuff
We are happy to help with any problems; physical, emotional or worries about housing, family/friends etc.
Common problems might be to do with skin/acne, worries about your development at puberty and after, concerns with weight or diet or general health, and of course, issues around STDs and contraception.
Please do not be afraid to raise any subject that concerns you – we aim to be able to help!
Pregnancy
Have you missed a period? Are you worried that you might be pregnant? Just make an appointment with one of our doctors or nurses and if possible bring in a sample of urine (our receptionist will give you a bottle).
We can do a pregnancy test immediately and let you know the result. We will then be happy to answer your questions and help you understand what to expect. We will then refer you to the midwife who comes to our surgery once a week, or if your pregnancy is unplanned and you do not wish to have the baby, we will be happy to discuss with you the option of having a termination of pregnancy (abortion).
Smoking
We would strongly encourage you to “stop before you start!”. Smoking is bad for you in so many ways. See the under 18’s guide to quitting smoking at quitting smoking under 18’s guide
We have a stop smoking clinic run by Tammy and Kat our Health Care Assistants. They would be happy to see you and have a chat about giving up smoking, using Nicotine replacement patches, or other similar options.
Alcohol
Have a look at www.wearewithyou.org.uk/services/cornwall-for-young-people/ for information and advice. If you think you are drinking too much and are having difficulty with getting this under control, please discuss this with one of the GP’s at the surgery. We will be able to refer you to Addaction for support and help.
If you are worried about a friend or family member who maybe drinking too much, please feel free to tell us about this and we may be able to offer some support. Living with an alcoholic is not easy. You will find help at: www.nacoa.org.uk/young-people
Drugs
Drugs come in many guises, and are unfortunately widely available in this part of Cornwall. For further information please see www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/drug-addiction-getting-help/ if you are concerned that you have a problem or are having difficulty giving up, we are here to help. Just make an appointment to see one of the GP’s or practice nurses.
Abuse
Are you being bullied, do you feel you are being targeted because of the colour of your skin? Please share this with us if you are suffering. We cannot stop the problem, but we can support you and help you if you are feeling down and losing your confidence.
“A problem shared is a problem halved”
Helpful websites:
www.childline.org.uk
www.refuge.org.uk/get-help-now/for-teenage-girls/
https://www.mysticmag.com/psychic-reading/domestic-violence-resource-guide
Bullying & Racism
Are you being bullied, do you feel you are being targeted because of the colour of your skin? Please share this with us if you are suffering. We cannot stop the problem, but we can support you and help you if you are feeling down and losing your confidence.
“A problem shared is a problem halved”
Helpful websites:youngminds.org.uk/find-help/feelings-and-symptoms/bullying/
Family Problems
Are there difficulties in your family? Do you feel scared or frightened or upset by things that may be happening in your home? Perhaps a family member is ill, perhaps your parents are fighting, perhaps your parent or sibling is distressed? Maybe you feel misunderstood and that no one is listening to you?
Our doctors and nurses are happy to offer a listening ear and support you if we can. Please come and try us.
Helpful websites:
www.themix.org.uk/get-support
Emotional Issues
Are you feeling tired, stressed, worried, down, angry or perhaps all of these? These are normal feelings to have from time to time, but if you feel that some of these apply to you on a daily basis, you might like to come and talk to see if we can offer any help. Depression and anxiety can occur in all age groups, even young children and are much more common than you think. If you are worried that you might have one of these, please come and have a chat. We would like to help. If appropriate we can refer you on to see a counsellor for one-to-one help.
Helpful websites:
Eating Disorders
Eating disorders covers a wide range of problems, the most common of which are anorexia nervosa, or bulimia. For more information see:
If you think that you or a family member has a problem with eating in some way, please tell one of our doctors or nurses. We are happy to help and to try to point you in the right direction for some specialist support.
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Unsure?
Discovering your sexuality can be difficult enough if you are straight, but you may have feelings that you might be more attracted to people of the same sex and this can be very confusing, or you may feel that you identify your gender as a boy or girl, or something different.
Please don’t suffer in silence. We will be happy to listen and offer support.
Please see below for useful websites:
General Health
Of course we are here to provide a CONFIDENTIAL service for all your regular health problems. If you are younger, we would often expect you to come with your parent or carer, but if this is not possible, we will be happy to see you on your own. We will need to explain your diagnosis to you once we have listened to and examined you and we will need to be sure that you understand the treatment we propose for you.
For certain treatments such as vaccinations (usually an injection), we would often request that your parents give us permission. This may not always be appropriate or essential, but we would discuss this with you first.
We will not speak to your parent without your permission except in a rare situation where we were concerned for your safety or that of someone else.
Weight Advice
Are you concerned that you are over or under weight? You will have heard from the newspapers and TV about obesity becoming more and more of a problem. Being overweight has serious implications for your future health, particularly with regard to your heart and to the risk of developing Diabetes. It is much easier to NOT GAIN WEIGHT than to lose the weight later on. We would recommend adopting a healthy lifestyle by taking regular exercise on a daily basis, and by eating healthily and keeping slim. If you are concerned that you are maybe too heavy, please make an appointment with one of our nurses or doctors for advice. This advice will be supportive and non-judgemental.
We would love to help!
Useful websites:
Diet
The proven healthy diet is what we call the “Southern Mediterranean Diet” See http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Mediterranean-Diet-Summary-and-Chart.htm.
Changing from our Western diet to this can greatly reduce your risk of developing heart disease, cancer, and many other diseases. The diet is rich in fruit and vegetables and low in saturated animal fats. Olive oil and oily fish are used in significant quantities. Fibre, including grains is an important part of the diet. Enjoy.
Remember – “You are what you eat”
Useful Links
Youth Kernow – For young people aged 11-18 – supportincornwall.org.uk
Young Addaction – Wise Up to Drugs and Alcohol – www.wearewithyou.org.uk/services/cornwall-for-young-people/
Headstart Kernow – A Cornwall Council led programme to develop mental well-being in young people – https://www.headstartkernow.org.uk/
Talk to FRANK – talktofrank.com
First Light Cornwall – Providing support for people affected by domestic abuse and sexual violence – https://www.victimcaredevonandcornwall.org.uk/Victim-Support/First-Light/
For Children & Young People Living with Domestic Violence – thehideout.org.uk
There 4 Me (Childline) – there4me.com
Childline – childline.org.uk – confidential support for children and young people
Get Connected (Confidential help for under 25’s) – getconnected.org.uk
Kidscape (Bullying) – kidscape.org.uk
Bullying Online – bullying.co.uk
Young Minds (Mental Health & Wellbeing) – youngminds.org.uk
SHAC – Cornwall Sexual Health and Contraception – Sexual Health GU Clinics in Cornwall – cornwallshac.org
Brook Sexual Health Advice – brook.org
Sexual Health and Contraception – https://www.healthycornwall.org.uk/make-a-change/sexual-health-and-contraception/
Self-Harm – mind.org
Counselling (for 11-25 year olds) – kooth.com
Housing – https://ymcacornwall.org/
Young Carers – youngcarer.com – Young carers for parents or siblings with illness or disability
Grief – penhaligonsfriends.org – Support for children or young people who have experienced the death of someone close to them
Eating Disorders – anorexiabulimiacare.org or beateatingdisorders.org