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Transition Care - Helping young people move successfully from child to adult health services

Transition Care - Helping young people move successfully from child to adult health services

As children mature into young adults, they outgrow the expertise of children's services (paediatrics) and need to find an adult health service that suits them. The GMCT Transition Care Network aims to improved continuity of care for young people with chronic health as they move from children's (paediatric) to adult health services.

A Network Manager leads a team of three Transition Coordinators who are based at John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, and Westmead Hospital. These hospitals are affiliated with three children's hospitals (John Hunter Children's Hospital, Sydney Children's Hospital at Randwick and Children's Hospital Westmead). The Program extends across all Area Health Services in NSW.

To find out more about transition and the transition care program click on the pdf fact sheets highlighted below.

What is Transition?

As a child becomes an adult they outgrow the expertise of children's (paediatric) health services and need to find an adult health provider that suits them.

When health professionals in the children's service start discussing "transition" they are talking about getting ready to identify and prepare a young person for adult health services.

Transition takes time. People should start to bring up the topic of transition when a client become a teenager. If this doesns't happen, parents and young people can ask their health team some questions about it.

To find out more about transition and the transition care program view our factsheets.

Help With Transition

The GMCT Transition Care program is currently developing a range of general tools to help young people, their parents and their health care professionals prepare for transition, these include;

The GMCT Transition Care program - What's Happening Now

Collection of data about the number and profile of young people who are currently using paediatric services, those that are planning to move to adult services and those who have recently made the move
Identification of gaps in transition services
Collaborating with clinicians, young people and their families to determine what processes and resources are needed to bridge the gaps
Provision of resources for clinicians such as fact sheets and checklists which they can adapt to suit their clients' specific needs
Establishment of youth forums to discuss issues of concern to young people with chronic illness and disability as they approach and move through transition to adult services
Development of a website for quick easy access to information and support
Establishment of a state-wide databank to track young people as they move from child to adult services
Holding forums for parents and carers

What's Happening Next

Meeting with key stakeholders in Area Health Services to identify priorities for transition

What's Happening Later

Evaluation of outcomes and planning for future service needs.