Youth Manifesto

Our GOSH Youth Manifesto was produced in partnership with young people like you. It is how we commit to delivering high-quality, age-appropriate and holistic care. We are dedicated to listening to and being guided by your views, not only throughout the development of our strategy, but also during the delivery of it. We used the manifesto as a tool to shape the priorities for our strategy, ensuring our staff will live and breathe what matters to you. This is how we will make sure we are meeting your needs and giving you a chance to shape the future of care at GOSH.

Ultimately, the Youth Manifesto is a mechanism for giving our young people a voice.

We attended multiple Young People’s Forum (YPF) sessions, and heard from our young people about their hopes, dreams and aspirations for GOSH.

What we heard emphasised that everything we do should be in service of, and guided by, the voices of our patients. By collaborating with young people, we were able to develop a manifesto that reflects their real-world needs and captures their ambitions to make care at GOSH even better.

I want you to walk alongside me, bridging care between the hospital and my life at home. GOSH should use the voices of myself, my peers and my loved ones to prioritise resources, decisions, and drive change. We need to build partnerships between young people and staff, so that my care is always collaborative and my views are valued. I am the expert of my body and mind and I should be treated as such.​

GOSH should use digital innovation, research and modern medicine to create even better futures for me, my peers, my family and my friends. There should always be people involved in my care, throughout treatments, conversations and decisions. You should use innovations to better my care, not replace any of the warmth, laughter or care that people provide. The heart of my care needs to based on people, as they are the ones who make the hospital feel like a home. ​

​GOSH isn’t just about medicine; it’s about providing moments that lift me up. My care isn’t just clinical: we need to care for my body, mind, family, and future. Things like fun and animals make all the difference. Empower me through every age, every stage, transition, and milestone; as my needs evolve, my care should too. Provide me with spaces that feel like home even when I’m at hospital; where I can connect with others, connect with nature and develop my skills.​

This care should extend beyond the hospital walls; everything God has to offer should be accessible, no matter where I am. I shouldn’t miss out on being a teenager because of my condition. My GOSH community, from peers, through to staff members, can change my life. Give me the chance to build a community to support me. When I’m being cared for, speak to me as a young person; treat me with empathy, respect and kindness. I want the choice to be actively involved in each step of my care journey, and to see how my views shape the future of GOSH. ​

GOSH’s purpose is to work together to advance care for children and young people with rare and complex conditions – this is what you need to do, to help me fulfil my potential.