What is Transition?
Transition from paediatric to adolescent and then to young adult services happens as you become too old for your current services, or your doctors feel that you are ready to move to a more adolescent or adult focussed centre.
Transition between Great Ormond Street (GOSH) and University College London Hospital (UCLH)
Currently, in the North Thames region, most young people with cancer who are diagnosed at less than 13 years are looked after at GOSH as their primary treatment centre, or UCLH if they are diagnosed at 13 years or more.
As you reach 13-17, your teams at GOSH will arrange for your care to be transferred across to the team at UCLH. Your current team at GOSH will prepare you for this move. Sometimes you will meet the UCLH team at GOSH before your appointment at UCLH and one of your CNSs may attend your first appointment at UCLH.
We know that it can be difficult to change teams but many young people, once they have made the move, have found that they prefer being treated in a more adolescent-friendly place.
Transition from local Paediatric Oncology Shared Care Units (POSCUs) to local adult services, or Designated Centres
Some paediatric services look after young people up until 16 and some until 18 or even 19. This is different in different areas. After this time, your POSCU will not be able to continue to look after you and your supportive care will need to move to the adult services, either in your hospital or another local hospital. We know this can be challenging for young people and their families. Do talk to your POSCU consultant about the arrangements in your area and what this means for you.
How can I prepare for transition, or how can I prepare my child?
As a young person gets older, their health professionals will start involving them more in their care and decisions. They may invite them to be seen on their own for part of the consultation. From 16, clinic letters may be addressed to the young person rather than the parents.
When a child or young person completes treatment, they should be provided with an end of treatment summary. There will be an opportunity in clinic to discuss this.
The ready steady go programme has questionnaires that you can complete prior to appointments and aims to cover key areas of care that are important to many young people with chronic conditions. You can bring these to appointments to prompt discussions around things that are important to you or your child’s care.
There are links below with resources which can help you prepare for these transitions. There are many other resources available but do talk to your CNS or consultant if you are anxious about this process.
10 steps to transition to adult services