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Care Leavers Get Free Healthcare Until 25
23 Dec, 2025
Summary
- Young people leaving care will receive free prescriptions, dental, and eyecare until 25.
- GPs will be alerted to children in care to prevent them falling through the cracks.
- A pilot scheme will boost mental health support and offer paid NHS internships.
Thousands of young individuals leaving care will now receive comprehensive healthcare benefits, including free prescriptions, dental, and eye care, extending to their 25th birthday. This initiative, announced by Health Secretary Wes Streeting, aims to address significant health inequalities faced by these young people.
Family doctors will be proactively notified about children in foster care or children's homes, ensuring that these vulnerable individuals are not overlooked. A new three-year pilot program is set to enhance access to vital mental health support for care leavers, a group disproportionately affected by mental health challenges.
Furthermore, ministers are trialing paid internships within the NHS and a guaranteed interview scheme to improve career prospects for those leaving care. These measures, influenced by recommendations from children's minister Josh MacAlister, seek to transform life chances and break down barriers to opportunity.
