The Health Passport was designed with young people leaving care, who described often feeling frustrated or embarrassed, or both, at their lack of knowledge about their own health and medical history. The Health Passport overcomes this problem by putting the patient in control of their own medical and health information.

The Health Passport provides quick access to key health information — childhood illnesses and immunisations, biological family history, key contacts — improving communication and making it easier to register independently for health services.

The Health Passport, developed through creative consultation and acting on identified problems, can play an active role in supporting NHS England’s vision for self care and self management. It can play a practical and accessible step in patient activation, helping to give the patient the knowledge, skills and confidence in managing and improving their own health and care.