Health Passport

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

Electric version You can complete the form online or by scanning the QR code below.	Paper version You can download a copy of the passport to print out.

 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.