YOUTH VOICE IN HEALTHCARE

At Youth Leads UK, we empower young people to shape the decisions that affect their lives, placing their voices at the heart of Healthcare service design and delivery.

With over a decade of experience in delivering impactful youth boards and participation initiatives, we help NHS Trusts and other healthcare providers, transform services that truly meet the needs of young people. Together, we can amplify youth voice, enhance patient-centred care, and inspire the next generation of healthcare leaders and changemakers.

BARRIERS

Engaging young people in healthcare decision-making doesn’t have to be difficult. We know how to bridge the gap between organisations and young people. Many young people face barriers like busy schedules or a lack of confidence, but we know how to make them feel heard and valued. We create safe, engaging spaces that empower young people to share their views, making participation accessible and meaningful.

We also support healthcare teams in navigating the process of youth engagement. From designing practical structures to building staff confidence, we ensure every step is straightforward and impactful. By working with us, you’ll not only overcome common challenges but also unlock the full potential of youth participation, helping to create services that truly meet the needs of young people.

95%

OF YOUNG PEOPLE

value being heard and included in healthcare decisions and experiences.

22%

OF 16 TO 24 YEAR OLDS

have been waiting over one year for a hospital appointment or treatment.

1.2M

YOUNG PEOPLE

are unemployed, largely attributed to post-pandemic mental health challenges.

44%

OF YOUNG ADULTS

are willing to opt for private healthcare due to NHS waiting lists.

BENEFITS

A Youth Health Board provides direct access to the lived experiences of young people, offering fresh perspectives to guide board decisions. With their input, services can be co-designed to better meet the needs of young people, ensuring delivery is both effective and inclusive. The board can also audit and quality assure services from a youth perspective, helping to identify areas for improvement and ensuring readiness for your next CQC inspection.

Youth boards can also drive youth-led health promotion campaigns and conduct research into the health needs and behaviours of young people, by young people. We support your teams to gain the skills to create youth-friendly practices and improve outcomes. We work tirelessly to involve the voices of those statistically more likely to experience poor health, ensuring your services are equitable, impactful, and future-ready.

18%

of our population is made up of 10 to 24 year olds.

NEXT STEPS

Our engagement is tailored to your needs: helping tackle health inequalities, improve service delivery, and engage young patients effectively. By placing young people at the heart of healthcare decision-making, we deliver insight-led behaviour change and measurable impact. Focused on solving your biggest youth voice challenges, youth engagement enhances your reputation while driving long-term, meaningful impact.

We recruit and train a diverse team of young people from your area with lived healthcare experience, supporting them throughout. The board conducts a bespoke audit to assess how you listen to and act on young people’s insights. Using our Youth Engagement Benchmark Tool, we provide sector context and data to strengthen your youth engagement. We deliver actionable recommendations, embedding youth perspectives into strategic and everyday practices.

With pricing ranging from £9,495 to £25,495, our three to twelve-month bespoke programmes are designed to deliver meaningful change, tailored to your goals and priorities.

This work is delivered in collaboration with our expert partners, Participation People.

Interested? Click here to get in touch.

“Young people are stakeholders in the NHS’s future.
We are future leaders, doctors, nurses, porters:
the very people who keep the NHS moving and
providing world-class care.” – NHS Youth Board Member