Transitioning to Adult Health Services
When young people transition to adult health services the aim is to ensure that any assessment of need is completed as early as possible and enable a seamless move to appropriate universal and specialist healthcare. Importantly, this includes identifying services that may no longer be available once someone reaches 18 and putting in place alternative healthcare support for young people, and their families, to achieve identified outcomes.
Those who may have a greater need within health service transitions could include:
- young people in receipt of children’s continuing care funding that move to adult continuing healthcare services and funding;
- young people accessing child and adolescent mental health services moving to adult mental health services; and
- young people with an Education, Health & Care (EHC) Plan that identifies other health service in order to meet assessed needs and outcomes.
Mental Health Services
Some young people supported by Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) may need help from mental health services as they move into adulthood. We want to ensure that the transition to adult services is well organised and young people are well supported.
CAMHS has:
- recruited Transition Support Workers to help the process of transition from CAMHS to adult mental health services
- updated the Transition policy and
- worked with young people to prepare a leaflet called ‘All About me’ to ensure young peoples’ needs and wishes are identified as they move into adult services.
Annual Health Check
Anyone aged 14 or over who is on their doctor's learning disability register are entitled to a free annual health check. Ask your GP or you can find a GP near you on the NHS Choices website.
An annual health check can help you stay well by talking to a doctor or nurse about your health and finding any problems early, so they can be sorted out.
NHS Bedfordshire Hospitals Learning Disabilities teams
The Learning Disabilities teams at NHS Bedfordshire Hospitals are based at both Bedford and the Luton and Dunstable sites and provide specialist support for adult patients who have a learning disability (inpatient or outpatient).
Children with a learning disability who are approaching 18 will move from children’s services to adults’ services; this is often very challenging for young people and their families. The move combines a change of services and professionals at the very time when they are also negotiating wider changes to their life.
These changes should, however, be planned. If a child, is approaching the age of 17 onwards then we would like you to contact Learning Disability Liaison so that we can support the transition process, introduce ourselves and provide you with information which will hopefully reassure you as to the support that can be accessed within the hospital.
We can help you complete a Capacity Assessment and Best Interest decision under the Mental Capacity Act, provide specific training on learning disabilities for all staff, and advise on how to make ‘Reasonable Adjustments’ to provide services for people with disabilities.
Our support may also include assistance with communication with both the patient and their usual carers, support formulating plans of care and pathways of care that meet the physical and learning disability needs.
For more information, please contact the teams as detailed below and they would be happy to discuss their role and the support they can offer.
Bedford Hospital –
Simone Mingay Lead Liaison Learning Disability Nurse 07833294335
Evelyn Asante 07768132244
Luton and Dunstable –
Jeanette Broadhurst Lead Liaison Learning Disability Nurse 07899065737
NHS Continuing Healthcare
Some people with long-term complex health needs qualify for free social care arranged and funded solely by the NHS. This is known as NHS Continuing Healthcare.
NHS continuing healthcare can be provided in a variety of settings outside hospital, such as in your own home or in a care home.
NHS continuing healthcare is for adults. Children and young people may receive a "continuing care package" if they have needs arising from disability, accident or illness that cannot be met by existing universal or specialist services alone.
Personal Health Budgets
A personal health budget (PHB) is an amount of money to support a person’s identified health and wellbeing needs, planned and agreed between the person and their local NHS Team.
More information can be found on our Personal Health Budget page.
Get your Rights
Get Your Rights explains how to get the most out of the NHS and your rights when making decisions and choices about healthcare.