Hospital passports have been developed by a number of trusts, local authorities and third sector organisations across both children's and adult services.
They vary in length and content - but the majority will present personal information about the child, outline their communication methods, their likes and dislikes, and their health and support needs.
A number of passports across both children and adult services are based on the 'traffic light system':
- Red - things you must know about me
- Amber - things that are important to me
- Green - my likes and dislikes
Examples of passports based on this system are to
be found in:
- Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust/Addenbrookes hospital
- NHS Knowsley and Knowsley Council
- County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust and Darlington Borough Council
- Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust and Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Trust
There are a number of other models of 'hospital passports' that have been developed for disabled children. Examples of these include those in:
- Birmingham Children's Hospital
- Walsall - This passport was developed by the transitions team and is used in a variety of situations: meeting new health professionals; applying for a place at college; taking to a job interview; supporting a DLA application. Young people have an electronic copy so that they can update it
- Wraparound and Craigavon Area Hospital, Northern Ireland
A range of templates are offered on the CALL Scotland website to assist in developing communication passports: http://www.communicationpassports.org.uk/Resources/Creating-Passports/