Safeguarding and Young Adult Care Policy
Purpose
This policy sets out the clinic’s approach to age-related eligibility, safeguarding, and patient support for younger adults. It aims to balance patient autonomy with clinical responsibility, safeguarding duties, and evidence-based practice, particularly in relation to intimate and gynaecological procedures.
Scope
This policy applies to adult patients aged under 25.
Core Principles
- Patients aged 18 and over are legally adults and are assessed for capacity to consent in line with UK law and professional guidance.
- Clinical decisions are guided by patient safety, physical development, evidence-based medicine, and long-term wellbeing.
- Some procedures may be deferred or not routinely offered to younger adults due to ongoing anatomical and physiological development, irrespective of psychological readiness or accompaniment.
- All decisions are made on clinical grounds and are not influenced by marital status, personal beliefs, or lifestyle factors.
Procedure Eligibility for Patients Under 25
1. Procedures Not Routinely Offered Under 25
The clinic does not routinely offer the following procedures to below 25 on the basis of altering the appearance solely:
- Labial puffing or volumisation
- Vaginal tightening procedures
- Intimate skin lightening or whitening
- Non-surgical labiaplasty
This approach reflects clinical evidence that genital and pelvic tissues may continue to undergo physiological change into the mid-twenties. Undertaking such procedures prematurely may not be in the patient’s long-term medical interests.
Exception: These procedures may be considered where there is a clear medical indication, such as post-childbirth pelvic floor or tissue changes, following an individualised clinical assessment.
2. Medical Conditions Affecting Younger Adults
The clinic recognises that certain medical conditions may affect patients under 25 and require assessment or treatment irrespective of age. These include, but are not limited to:
- التشنج المهبلي
- Lichen sclerosus
For such conditions:
- Consultations and treatments are considered on clinical grounds.
- Decisions are based on safety, appropriateness, and individual need.
Companion Attendance
Patients under 25 may be encouraged, where feasible, to attend consultations with a supportive companion such as a parent, older family member, partner, or trusted friend. The purpose of this is to support emotional wellbeing, reduce anxiety, and promote calm, informed decision-making during sensitive consultations.
Accompaniment is not a condition of access to care. Patients are not refused consultation, assessment, or treatment solely because they attend alone. The absence of a companion does not imply reduced eligibility for care. Individual circumstances are always considered.
Consent and Autonomy
All patients aged 18 and over are assessed for capacity to consent in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and General Medical Council guidance. Where capacity is present, patient autonomy is respected within the boundaries of clinically appropriate and safe practice.
Safeguarding and Professional Responsibility
This policy reflects the clinic’s duty to:
- Act in the patient’s best medical interests
- Avoid unnecessary or premature intervention
- Safeguard young adults undergoing sensitive procedures
- Provide ethical, non-judgemental, patient-centred care
This policy reflects established NHS mental health and sexual health safeguarding practices, principles of developmental medicine, and current guidance issued by the General Medical Council (GMC) and the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The policy is applied consistently and reviewed regularly to ensure continued alignment with professional standards.
Review
This policy is reviewed regularly to ensure alignment with current guidance from the General Medical Council and the Care Quality Commission.
Last reviewed: January 2026
Sources
General Medical Council – Good Medical Practice
https://www.gmc-uk.org/ethical-guidance/ethical-guidance-for-doctors/good-medical-practice
General Medical Council – Consent
https://www.gmc-uk.org/ethical-guidance/ethical-guidance-for-doctors/consent
Care Quality Commission – Regulation 12: Safe Care and Treatment
https://www.cqc.org.uk/guidance-providers/regulations-enforcement/regulation-12-safe-care-treatment