The Health Passport is a document to help children and young
people with learning disabilities and autism or other long-term
health needs when coming to hospital. It tells staff about your
child's needs, how they communicate, and how best to support them.
This means staff don't have to keep asking you the same questions,
and your child can get the care they need more easily.
What is a Health Passport?
A Health Passport is completed by parents, carers, or the child
or young person themselves. It includes information about:
- Healthcare needs
- Disability or learning needs
- How your child communicates
- Anything else that helps staff support your child
Who can have a Health Passport?
- Any child with a life-long disability, including learning
disabilities or autism
- Children with long-term or complex health needs who spend a lot
of time in hospital
You do not need a formal diagnosis to have a Health Passport,
support is based on your child's needs.
How to get a Health Passport
Please send your Health Passport at least five working
days before a planned hospital visit so staff can prepare.
What to include in a Health Passport
Write about your child's needs inyour own words, not medical
terms. Include what staff need to know about your child from your
experience of being in hospital.
Do I need to carry the Health Passport?
We encourage all our families to hold a copy of their health
passport so it can be used at any point during your health journey.
But in case you forget, a note is added to your child's hospital
record to let staff know they have a passport. The Health Passport
is stored securely online, and staff will be able to print it for
hospital visits.
We do encourage you to keep a copy to use inother hospitals or
at your GP. This will also help once you reach the point
transitioning to adult services.
Updating the Health Passport
Keep your child's Health Passportup to date. Recommended
review:
- Every 6 monthsfor children under 5
- Every yearfor children over 5
If changes are needed when you come to hospital, staff can help
update the printed passport and send it to the Disability Team. You
will also get a yearly reminder by text with a link to update the
passport.
Transition to Adult Services
If your child is moving to adult serviceswithin UHBW or North
Bristol NHS Trust, their Health Passport can be shared with the
adult Learning Disability and Autism teams.
If your child doesn't have a diagnosed learning disability or
autism, the passport will still be available to adult hospital
teams on request.
For children moving to other hospitals, the Health Passport can
be sent to local teams if requested.
Other care documents
Other care plans or documents from different hospitals or
organisations can be included with the Health Passport or used
instead. Send them to the Paediatric Disability Team to be stored
securely and used whenever your child comes to hospital.
