Your Rights: Health Entitlements for Care Leavers
If you grew up in care, you may be used to figuring things out on your own. You may also have had times when your health needs were rushed, overlooked, or not taken seriously. None of that means you do not deserve proper support now.
You do. You always have.
As a care leaver in England, you have specific rights when it comes to your health and wellbeing. These rights exist because care experience is recognised as having a real, long-term impact on physical and mental health. Support is not a favour. It is part of what you are entitled to as you move into adulthood.
This space is here to explain those rights clearly, without judgement or confusing language.
Think of it as your older sibling quietly sliding a list across the table and saying,
“You’re allowed this. Truly.”
A familiar moment
The story below has details changed for safeguarding:
Amira and the appointment she nearly cancelled
Amira, 19, had not been to a GP in years. After leaving care, she worried she would be told off for “not looking after herself properly.” When she developed a chest infection, she almost did not book an appointment at all.
Her PA reminded her that she had the right to be seen, the right to support attending, and the right to be treated with respect.
Amira went. She was listened to. She was prescribed antibiotics. She felt better within days.
What stayed with her most was this realisation:
She was never meant to manage her health alone.
Your health rights as a care leaver
Use this section to understand what you can ask for and what support should be available.
Click on each option below for more information:
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You can register with a GP wherever you live using a permanent address, a temporary address, or no fixed address if you are sofa surfing or homeless.
GP practices are not allowed to refuse you because of your housing situation.
If registering feels overwhelming, you can ask for help.
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Your Personal Advisor or support worker can help you to:
Register with a GP, dentist, or optician
Complete health forms
Attend appointments with you for reassurance
Understand letters, test results, or next steps
You do not have to navigate healthcare systems alone.
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Before leaving care, you should be given a Health Passport or summary containing key information such as:
Medical history
Vaccinations
Allergies
Prescribed medication
Important health notes
If you never received this, or have lost it, you can ask for it at any time through your PA or GP.
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As of December 2025, guidance confirms that care leavers should not face financial barriers to essential healthcare.
Depending on your circumstances and local Care Leaver Offer, this can include:
free NHS prescriptions
free NHS dental treatment
free sight tests
support with travel costs for medical appointments
Many local authorities now cover prescription charges directly for care leavers up to age 25, or support access through local schemes.
You can ask about this through:
your PA
your local Care Leaver Offer
your GP surgery or pharmacist
This may also apply if you are on certain benefits. If you are unsure, always ask. You are not expected to guess.
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You can:
Self-refer to NHS talking therapies
Speak to your GP
Ask your PA to help you navigate mental health services
Access youth wellbeing teams
Use crisis services if you ever feel unsafe
You do not need to be in crisis to deserve support.
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You can access, free of charge:
Contraception
STI testing
Pregnancy tests
Advice and information
Sexual health clinics do not inform your local authority, PA, or GP unless you ask them to.
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You deserve:
To be listened to
To ask questions
To understand what is happening
To be involved in decisions about your care
If a professional speaks down to you or dismisses your concerns, you are allowed to ask for another appointment or another clinician.
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If something feels confusing or unfair, you can ask for an advocate to help you:
Express your needs
Understand medical decisions
Challenge barriers
Attend meetings with you
Advocacy means having backup. You do not have to fight alone.
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Healthcare information should be shared in a way that works for you. This might include:
Plain language
Written summaries
Text reminders
Visual explanations
Extra time to process information
If you have ADHD, autism, anxiety, or processing differences, you can say so. Reasonable adjustments are your right.
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Your PA can continue supporting your health and wellbeing even if you:
Move home
Start college or university
Change jobs
Are unemployed
Live independently
Turning 18 does not mean support disappears.
If you are unsure what you are entitled to
You can ask:
Your PA or support worker
Your local Care Leaver Offer website
Your GP reception team
NHS 111
Wellbeing services
Youth support charities
You do not need to know everything.
You are allowed to ask questions.
Reflective moment
If you have not always had consistent care, it makes sense if you sometimes question whether you deserve support, or worry that asking for help is “too much.”
It is not.
These rights exist because care experience affects health in real and lasting ways. This support is recognition, protection, and responsibility. It is meant for you.
Closing thoughts
Your health matters more than you may have been led to believe. Your body deserves care and your mind deserves support.
You do not need to manage health alone.
You have rights, you have support and you deserve to access every entitlement designed to help you stay safe, well, and cared for.