Teenage healthcare needs to be better, says Royal College of GPs - 26 Jun 2009
Healthcare providers in the UK have been urged to step up the level of care they provide to teenagers.
According to the Royal College of GPs, greater efforts to safeguard patients in this age group need to be made.
It has therefore suggested that specially targeted services be introduced across the country, particularly for those aged between 16 and 18.
Professor Steve Field, chairman of the organisation, said many of the existing problems are arising because the handover between child and adult services is "not done very well" in many places.
Speaking to BBC News, he commented: "What I believe should happen is there should be some targeted services across the whole country for teenage mental health and also for teenage physical health as well."
This comes shortly after the Scottish parliament's health committee warned that many under-fives with mental health issues are slipping through the net.
MSPs suggested that introducing a bespoke service for adolescents and young adults could help resolve this problem.
