What age to go to the dr unaccompanied

[janx]

My dd has just turned 14 and when I last took her to the drs I was surprised to hear from the dr that she can both make and attend appointments on her own. Is this common practice?

you can accompany her if she wants op

My mum took me to the doctors when I was 15 and as we were leaving the doctor whispered, ‘let her come on her own next time, she’s old enough now’.

DS is 17 and doesn't like getting up early enough to call our surgery at 8am to get an appointment so I recently did it for him. I woke him when I left for work and told him his appointment time. At five-to his appointment time he rang and asked where I was, and when I told him I was at work he said " but aren't you coming with me?". Bless him, it was his first solo appointment and I just assumed he was old enough to go alone, but hadn't conveyed that to him; I assumed he wouldn't want me there anymore as he's so independent in other things. He survived

If you are worried her going out on her own, you could get this app to make sure she arrived ok. www.northernmum.com/2018/10/teenage-safety-is-no-panic-with-pom/

When we were in the hospital the other day there were posters up saying if they wanted to go in on their own from the age of 11 they just had to speak to a nurse. My 14 year old was horrified and didn’t want to go in without me lol

Legally it's when a dr believes they are competent, until 16 drs can require consent from parents unless there's a specific reason not to, and even over 16 medical professionals do involve parents with the permission of the young person. Many young people feel awkward in front of their parents.

I still meet with my dd's specialists at 19, she goes in alone and calls me in just before the end so the dr can run through her targets and changes to medication. Quite different from getting antibiotics for a uti though! Mental health required my attendance in the waiting room until 18 as I was given the prescription and I had to collect it as it was controlled.