TRANSITION (CROSS-CUTTING)
THEME LEADS
Dr Helena Gleeson
Dr Priya Narula
LOCATION
Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Sheffield Children’s Hospital
TRANSITION
Young people are required to move (‘transfer’) to adult health services when they reach 16-19 years.
In healthcare, ‘transition’ describes the process of preparing and planning to transfer from children’s to adult health services.
However, transition and transfer is often difficult for young people and their families. Many research studies have shown that transfer often leads to young people disengaging with adult health services and, consequently, poorer health outcomes.
THEME FOCUS
The Transition theme has the following focus:
- Support the learning and education of young people to ensure they have a good understanding of how to manage their condition.
- Improve access to clinical information for young people and their new clinicians.
- Support remote consultations and improve the self-management capabilities of young people.
- Monitor and improve young people’s engagement with adult services.
“Technology can offer novel opportunities to overcome existing challenges and assist in delivering transition within the context of developmentally appropriate healthcare.”
– DR PRIYA NARULA
THEME LEADS
DR HELENA GLEESON
Dr Helena Gleeson is a Consultant Endocrinologist at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham.
Helena has been at the forefront of the national work on transition in the UK. She worked closely with the National Clinical Director for Transition on NHS England service specifications for transition. Helena was a member of the NICE Guidance Development Group and NICE Quality Standards Advisory Committee for Transition.
Helena chairs the Royal College of Physicians steering group for adolescents and young adults. Helena is also a member of the Advisory Council for the Association of Young People’s Health, which leads the Young People’s Health Partnership (a seven strong consortium of organisations working to raise the profile of young people’s health, with the Department of Health, Public Health England, and NHS England as strategic partners).
DR PRIYA NARULA
Dr Priya Narula is a Consultant in Paediatric Gastroenterology and the Trust Clinical Lead for Transition at Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust.
Priya currently chairs the British Society of Gastroenterology Adolescent and Young Person’s Section committee.
