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Moving into Adult Health Services
Moving from children’s services to adult services is often called transition.
When we talk about transition, we mean the time when a young person, who has health needs, moves from childhood into adulthood.
It is important that you have the right information, at the right time, to make sure you’re preparing for adulthood, and your transitions into adult services.
You should know what to expect when moving to adult health services and what support you may need to do this. It is important that you and your family feel supported to learn about these changes, and how you can become as independent as possible when accessing adult health services.
It is essential that the care you get is appropriate for your age and needs as you grow into an adult.
- If you still see a nurse or therapist, as you get older, you might need to move to an adult service between the ages of 16-19 years.
- Some people might need to stay in children’s services longer, depending on which team you see (19-25 years).
- Some people may just see a nurse or therapist for a few appointments and might go back to seeing their GP for health advice.
You can find an easy read guide here – Preparing for Adulthood Transition.
More information at the NHS website on Preparing for Adulthood and Transition.
These are some of the main differences that you can expect in health services from after your 16th birthday:
- Letters can be addressed to you rather than your parents or guardians. Sometimes if people don’t understand (don’t have capacity), letters might still be addressed to parents or guardians.
- You might be asked if you want to go into appointments on your own. You can still have support from your family or carer if you want it.
- Once you reach the age of 16, you can agree to examination or treatment just like adults. People providing healthcare do not then have to ask your parents or guardians for consent as well. Your conversations will be private unless you want to include your parents or guardian. If you do not want to, you do not have to make decisions about any treatment on your own. Professionals, family members and anyone else who usually supports you will be able to help you as they have always done. This is called Shared Decision Making.
- You might want to make, cancel, or rebook your own health appointments unless you give someone else permission. Some people will need support as they are unable to do this for themselves.
- You will still be given information to help you make decisions about your healthcare. Healthcare professionals will support and advise you for ‘Shared Decision Making’.
- The age that children’s health services finish and adult health services start varies depending on where people live and what service they receive. In some areas, adult services start at 16 years and in others they start at 18 years or older. It is a good idea to find out what age this happens where you live. If you became unwell or had an accident and needed to go to hospital, you might be admitted to a children’s or an adult ward depending on where you live.
- If you receive support from a Children and Young People Specialist Service and need to transfer to adult care, your nurse or therapist will give you more information before this happens.
You can find an easy read guide here – Preparing for Adulthood Levels of Care/Difference in Healthcare.
Young people legally become responsible for decisions about their healthcare once they are 16 years old.
If you do not want to, you do not have to make decisions about any treatment on your own. Professionals, family members and anyone else who usually supports you will be able to help you as they have always done. This is called Shared Decision Making.
Special rules apply that are part of the Mental Capacity Act and apply if a doctor or professional think that a young person is not able to make decisions on their own. The rules set out in the Mental Capacity Act will always be followed by doctors and other professionals.
You can find an easy read guide here - Preparing for Adulthood Legal and Financial Changes from 16 years old. (pdf)
All people with a disability should get the same access to healthcare and treatment as everybody else.
The law says that ‘reasonable adjustments’ should be put in place to help people to be treated equally. These are simple changes made by hospital staff. This could be the way that they treat you or the things that you need when you are in hospital.
Every person is different and will need different things. Examples of reasonable adjustments could include:
- Doctors who speak using clear and simple words
- More time with a doctor
- Having a quiet place to wait
- Information in easy read
- Having support workers or family members with you
- Having an appointment at a time which is better for you.
Useful Links:
Mencap - Reasonable Adjustments in Healthcare Services (pdf)
Mencap - An Easy Read Guide to The Accessible Information Standards (pdf)
CHANGE has produced a communication card which you can use to share your communication needs, which can be downloaded from their website here.
Harry: People with a learning disability can see the doctor annually, have a health check, to discuss issues and concerns. Josie: The first health check I had, they asked me questions. They asked me about my disability, about my balance, about how I cope at home, things like that. So yes, everything was good. Harry: They checked my heart, my ears. Leroy: My diabetes. Lorraine: My cholesterol, my weight. John: Blood pressure and blood sugar. Leroy: It helps when you have one because it will tell you where your health is improving and where it's not. Lorraine: I do the annual health checks every year. I also want to keep more healthy. I started a running group. Ciara: I could have some kind of illness and not know about it. Harry: I always like to say 'Can you repeat that again?' or 'Can you make that crystal clear?' Ciara: Making reasonable adjustments are things like making information easy to read. Youssef: My GP surgery phones me because sometimes I forget with my epilepsy. They give me longer appointments. Dean: Sometimes people do need more time to understand exactly what's going on, and health is a really important issue. So it's really important that people give them that time. Ciara: Making sure that you're supported by somebody who knows you and you trust. Dean: Very often I take someone with me as well, just because I get very nervous in those kinds of situations, and so they explain information to me and make it clearer.
An Annual Health Check is done by your doctor once a year. Your doctor will take a closer look at how you are doing – making sure you’re healthy.
- It is available for most people aged 14 and older with a learning disability at GP surgeries that offer the service.
- You don’t need to be ill to get a health check, but you can ask your doctor about anything that is hurting or worrying you.
- It is a good way to get to know your doctor better, and for them to find out more about you.
You can find out if you can get a health check by asking your doctor.
If you are receiving Children’s Continuing Care, that team will refer you for formal screening by Adult Continuing Healthcare services on your 16th birthday.
Social care and health professionals will make transition arrangements to adult services. You, and/or your parent/carer, should be informed of transition arrangements and any new professional’s contact details.
The Children’s Continuing Care team will arrange a meeting with those involved in your health care support within one month of your 17th birthday and a transition plan will start. A decision about eligibility for adult Continuing Healthcare should have been made at least 6 months before your 18th birthday. Any chances to packages of care must be ready for your 18th birthday.
If you receive Continuing Healthcare funding, social care funding will cease from when you turn 18 and a health case manager would take the lead in organising your support/services.
A Paediatrician will discharge you to a GP or an Adult specialist team (unless you are continuing in a Specialist School).
If you are receiving funding from Continuing Care, you can start to ask about transition arrangements. You may want to learn more about Personal Health Budgets.

SEND Local Offer
The Nottingham City Council and Nottinghamshire County Council SEND Local Offers are a great resource for finding events, support and activities in your area.
City Council County Council