Adolescence is commonly regarded as a healthy period of life and consequently there is a paucity of data regarding the health of young people and how they access healthcare. Paradoxically young people are especially vulnerable to health problems related to injury, suicide, pregnancy, substance misuse, and long term conditions. Young people represent a significant proportion of the population and this proportion is increasing, especially in the ethnic minority groups.
The number of emergency admissions in older adolescents has risen steadily since the mid-1990s whilst admissions for younger children have fallen in recent years. There is limited published English data on the reasons for young people being admitted to hospital, the reasons they attend hospital services, or healthcare utilisation in general. The results of a study provide a broad view of how and when young people present…
