DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
News Release (2008/18/03 MG) issued by The Government News Network
on 18 March 2008
A good practice
guide for health professionals and their partners on transition
planning for young people with complex health needs or a disability
Ivan Lewis, Care Services Minister today announced the
publication of good practice guidance for health professionals and
their partners on the transition planning for young people moving
into adulthood.
Transition from children's to adult health services is
recognised as an important issue. More children are now surviving
into adult life with conditions which once would have been fatal
in early childhood. Many of these conditions will be unfamiliar
to health professionals working in t adult service and often the
young person needs care from a number of different specialities.
The coordination of care which they have received in
children's services all too often fades away when they
transfer to adult care. Young people with a neuro-disability such
as cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy are the least well served
when the time comes to move on to adult care.
The Department of Health and Department for Children, Schools and
Families are today publishing a good practice guide for health
professionals and their partners. The guide will help ensure that
the young person and their family are better prepared for the move
to adult care and that the adult care team has been involved in
planning for the transfer.
Ivan Lewis, Care Services Minister, said
'Young people and their families tell us of the uncertainty
they face about their future support when they reach 18 years of
age. All too often, they feel unsupported which is why we have
made improving the transition experience of young people a
Government priority.
Health and social care professionals have an important role in
working with other agencies to support young people with the most
complex health needs through the transition period. This good
practice guide offers suggestions on how this can be done.'
Andrew Adonis, Schools Minister said:
"Transition is recognised as an area for improvement in
Aiming high for disabled children and we are investing £19m over
the [next] CSR period to initiate and develop a transition support
programme. This good practice guide for health professionals will
be an important contribution to that programme."
Notes to Editors:
1. The importance of a good transition to
adulthood is recognised in Improving the Life Chances of Disabled
People, a joint report from the PM Strategy Unit in 2005.
2. Transition: getting it right for young people was published by
the Department for Education and Skills and the Department of
Health in 2006. DCSF and DH published a transition guide for all
services, key information for professionals about the transition
process for disabled young people in 2006. It can be
viewedelectronically via the following link: http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/_files/TransitionGuide.pdf.
3. Or single hard copies can be ordered from: DCSF Publications,
PO Box 5050, Sherwood Park, Annesley, Nottingham NG15 0DJ tel 0845
60 222 60; Fax: 0845 60 333 60; Textphone: 0845 60 555 60 quoting
reference 00776-2007DOM-EN