Film Premiere of "Stepping Into Shoes"

Teenage Correspondents Report from the Healthcare Frontline

In a ground-breaking new film project, Stepping into Shoes, seven Cornish teenagers have been recounting their first hand experience of receiving medical treatment within the NHS.

The first film tells the story of three young people with long-term illness, exploring what impact managing their condition has on their lives. Seen entirely through the eyes of these adolescents, it reveals ‘matter of fact’ insights into the daily care regime for three teenagers with Muscular Dystrophy, Cystic Fibrosis and Diabetes.

Working with Cornish film-maker Hana Backland, the documentary uses video diary and interviews to explore the issues, challenges and good practice which inform their encounters with the health service.

The second film follows the journey of four healthy teenagers, recruited from Youth Cornwall, who report on their experience of hospital treatment. It examines the hospital environment from the viewpoint of teenage patients, captured on camera by film-maker Morgan Lowndes.

The straightforward commentary explores scenarios such as cannulations, navigating around the hospital and having a sexual health consultation.

Both films form the basis of research projects with Clinical Psychologists Dr Ian Frampton, Dr Sian Mckensie and Dr Abii McCormack to help improve the experience of teenagers in healthcare.

With children's services at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust having close to 20,000 contacts with young people every year, the issue of how to treat adolescents is high on the NHS agenda.

The Department for Health’s Standards for Better Health states that care should be ‘accessible and responsive’, and it is well documented that fearful patients are more likely to feel more pain, experience anxiety and recover more slowly.

Although patient forums exist for adults, it is currently rare for teenagers to be consulted in an age appropriate manner.

You are invited to the film premiere at 6pm on Tuesday 21st April, 2009 at The One-Eyed Cat, Truro. Light buffet 6pm.

To find out more about Stepping into Shoes, log on to www.realideas.org/steppingintoshoes