'Follow the Fish': involving young people in primary care in Midlothian

The project aims were to enable young people to contribute their views about health services, to encourage professionals and policy makers to listen to the young people and to stimulate action to address the issues raised.

Peer interviews were undertaken by a team of five young people to identify the experience and views of young people of various ages about health services. Drama workshop sessions were conducted with 10-15 young people, encompassing initial issue-identifying activities and group discussion about their own experience of, and views about health services, followed by role-play and improvisation to construct drama scenarios about the issues gathered from the interviews and discussions.

Twenty young people aged 12-16 years from the Mayfield and Gorebridge areas of Midlothian were recruited from Newbattle Community High school. The project was conducted as a voluntary after-school activity for 12 weeks.

A drama was constructed from research conducted by young people into the experiences and views of their peer group about health services. A cast of young people performed the drama to an invited audience of 30 health and education professionals and held a post-performance question and answer session with the audience to explore the issues raised. The drama engendered a number of practical outcomes related to improving the usage and experience of health services of young people.

Drama can offer a means to encourage participation, facilitate participants' self-expression and explore health/health service themes and issues. In conjunction with conventional techniques such as interviews and group discussions, a drama project can also be used to communicate the experience, views and needs of the wider client group to service providers and planners. Such initiatives can generate outcomes to improve service users' experience of health services.