Hospital services
As with other services, planning for the move from children to adult hospital services should also begin in school Year 9 or at age 14 in school and should be:
- led by a named worker, often a nurse, who will coordinate the young person’s transition care and support
- developmentally appropriate, considering the young person’s capabilities and needs
- take place at a time of relative stability, i.e., not at the same time as moving from school to college or during a health crisis
- reviewed at least annually
Health transition pathways vary depending on the needs of the young person and the professionals from hospital or community based specialist health services they have been involved with.
Remember to ask at the young person’s next hospital appointment about their arrangements for transition to adult services as these might differ from service to service.
Hospital Passports
Going into hospital can be a worrying time for some people. A hospital passport helps to give hospital staff important information about a young person and their health which is particularly important when a young person is developing their independence from parents or carers and where they have difficulty in communicating.
A hospital passport is a document that can be completed to provide other useful information about the young person like their interests, likes, dislikes, how best to communicate with them. It can also include information about any reasonable adjustments that they might need.
Visit the NHS support webpage for more information about Hospital passports. You can also complete a downloadable blank template.