News Transition: Understanding It and Making It Work, London South Bank University
Preparing young people for adult services
Online pilot aims to improve move from child-centred care A POPULAR free programme that prepares children to move from child-centred to adult services from the age of 11 years through leaflets and questionnaires is being trialled online. The Ready, Steady, Go transition programme is aimed at adolescents with any long-term medical condition and was introduced in 2010 by consultant paediatric nephrologist at Southampton Children’s Hospital, Arvind Nagra. A paper-based version has already been introduced in many NHS trusts in England, while the online pilot, launched in November, is expected to run until later this year. The first questionnaire, Getting Ready, covers conditions and includes medication names, health and lifestyle, daily living, school, future plans and managing 6
February 2015 | Volume 27 | Number 1
Call for closer links between hospital paediatric teams and community healthcare practitioners children often happened ‘too late’ and needed to be ‘thought about earlier’. One district nurse pointed out that, with growing numbers of children with chronic diseases surviving into adulthood, community services will have to adapt. ‘We are used to adults. Our service spec is 18 years plus. District nurses are generalist, so I wonder what will happen if young people move to adult services aged 14 to 16.’ Transition care nurse Vanda Fairchild, who works with renal patients at Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospitals in London, said that many patients have never seen a GP or practice nurse when transfer from children’s to adult services at 18. ‘We need to involve young adults and their parents, so they get used to it.’
Alamy
Exclusive By Tamsin Newton Snow CHILDREN NEED to be prepared earlier for moving to adult services, with paediatric teams working more closely with primary care, concluded clinicians taking part in a conference on transitioning to adult services. Children’s nurses and doctors taking part in panel discussion also called for improved links with GPs, practice nurses and community health. Clinical nurse specialist in long-term follow up at the Royal Marsden in London Emma Potter said that hospital-based teams needed to ‘make it easier’ for community nurses to get to know young patients. At the Marsden, a specialist cancer treatment hospital, clinical staff write hospital notes with the young person to increase their understanding of their condition. Ms Potter added that educating
emotions. It also introduces the idea of being seen by clinicians on your own and potential dangers of alcohol, drugs and smoking, as well as how the condition can affect puberty. Subsequent questionnaires, Steady, for 14 to 16 year olds, and Go, for 16 to 18 year olds, cover the same topics in more detail. They introduce issues such as storage of medicines when away from home, understanding rights to confidentiality, ordering repeat prescriptions and calling the hospital independently with queries. There is also a transition questionnaire for parents and an information leaflet.
Lead clinical nurse specialist in late effects of cancer Susan Mehta, of University College London Hospitals, carried out a focus group with 18 to 30 year olds on their experiences of moving to adult services. She concluded that it was vital to show young patients’ treatment summaries and care plans to illustrate which clinicians would be caring for them in adult services. A report by England’s Care Quality Commission last year found that 80% of pre-transition casenotes reviewed had no transition plans for health. Meanwhile, researchers who have developed new benchmarks for transition from child to adult health services are looking for NHS organisations to trial them. Email [email protected]
Nurse-run initiative for cardiac patients gets positive feedback ALMOST ALL cardiac patients who attended a nurse-organised event to help them move to adult services said that the day improved confidence in managing their condition. Clinical nurse specialist Lindsay-Kay Leaver, who leads on cardiac adolescent and transition at London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital, set up the Rhythmic Beats day for 15 to 18 year olds. The event includes a series of talks and workshops covering transition, and cardiac-specific and general information. Ms Leaver said that 84% of participants surveyed responded that they were more confident about their condition after the event and 70% of parents said the event had improved their confidence ‘a lot’. There are now plans to hold a similar event for young people with learning disabilities. NURSING CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE
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Preparing young people for adult services
Online pilot aims to improve move from child-centred care A POPULAR free programme that prepares children to move from child-centred to adult services from the age of 11 years through leaflets and questionnaires is being trialled online. The Ready, Steady, Go transition programme is aimed at adolescents with any long-term medical condition and was introduced in 2010 by consultant paediatric nephrologist at Southampton Children’s Hospital, Arvind Nagra. A paper-based version has already been introduced in many NHS trusts in England, while the online pilot, launched in November, is expected to run until later this year. The first questionnaire, Getting Ready, covers conditions and includes medication names, health and lifestyle, daily living, school, future plans and managing 6
February 2015 | Volume 27 | Number 1
Call for closer links between hospital paediatric teams and community healthcare practitioners children often happened ‘too late’ and needed to be ‘thought about earlier’. One district nurse pointed out that, with growing numbers of children with chronic diseases surviving into adulthood, community services will have to adapt. ‘We are used to adults. Our service spec is 18 years plus. District nurses are generalist, so I wonder what will happen if young people move to adult services aged 14 to 16.’ Transition care nurse Vanda Fairchild, who works with renal patients at Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospitals in London, said that many patients have never seen a GP or practice nurse when transfer from children’s to adult services at 18. ‘We need to involve young adults and their parents, so they get used to it.’
Alamy
Exclusive By Tamsin Newton Snow CHILDREN NEED to be prepared earlier for moving to adult services, with paediatric teams working more closely with primary care, concluded clinicians taking part in a conference on transitioning to adult services. Children’s nurses and doctors taking part in panel discussion also called for improved links with GPs, practice nurses and community health. Clinical nurse specialist in long-term follow up at the Royal Marsden in London Emma Potter said that hospital-based teams needed to ‘make it easier’ for community nurses to get to know young patients. At the Marsden, a specialist cancer treatment hospital, clinical staff write hospital notes with the young person to increase their understanding of their condition. Ms Potter added that educating
emotions. It also introduces the idea of being seen by clinicians on your own and potential dangers of alcohol, drugs and smoking, as well as how the condition can affect puberty. Subsequent questionnaires, Steady, for 14 to 16 year olds, and Go, for 16 to 18 year olds, cover the same topics in more detail. They introduce issues such as storage of medicines when away from home, understanding rights to confidentiality, ordering repeat prescriptions and calling the hospital independently with queries. There is also a transition questionnaire for parents and an information leaflet.
Lead clinical nurse specialist in late effects of cancer Susan Mehta, of University College London Hospitals, carried out a focus group with 18 to 30 year olds on their experiences of moving to adult services. She concluded that it was vital to show young patients’ treatment summaries and care plans to illustrate which clinicians would be caring for them in adult services. A report by England’s Care Quality Commission last year found that 80% of pre-transition casenotes reviewed had no transition plans for health. Meanwhile, researchers who have developed new benchmarks for transition from child to adult health services are looking for NHS organisations to trial them. Email [email protected]
Nurse-run initiative for cardiac patients gets positive feedback ALMOST ALL cardiac patients who attended a nurse-organised event to help them move to adult services said that the day improved confidence in managing their condition. Clinical nurse specialist Lindsay-Kay Leaver, who leads on cardiac adolescent and transition at London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital, set up the Rhythmic Beats day for 15 to 18 year olds. The event includes a series of talks and workshops covering transition, and cardiac-specific and general information. Ms Leaver said that 84% of participants surveyed responded that they were more confident about their condition after the event and 70% of parents said the event had improved their confidence ‘a lot’. There are now plans to hold a similar event for young people with learning disabilities. NURSING CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE
Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 26, 2015. For personal use only. No other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
