Moving to adult health services

Moving to adult health services

When you turn 14, it’s a good time to start thinking about the health services you will need as an adult.

You can talk to your doctor and any specialists about your move to adult services. They can help you:

• learn about your condition and treatment
• feel confident to ask questions and make decisions about your care
• understand when to get help and who to contact in an emergency

By the time you turn 18, you will usually have fully moved into adult health services.

Hospital and neuro-inclusion passports

These passports are documents that can help you communicate your health needs and how best to support you. 

Find out more and download a passport to explain your health needs.

The Ready Steady Go programme

Some of our Berkshire West health services use a programme called Ready Steady Go: Hello to adult services.

The programme is for any young person with a long-term condition. It offers guides and resources to help you learn how to manage your condition as you move to adult health services.

Watch the Ready, Steady, Go video on supporting the transition to adult care on YouTube.

The Community Team for People with a Learning Disability (CTPLD)

When you become an adult, CTPLD can give you advice about treatments and therapies including:

• occupational therapy
• physiotherapy
• speech and language therapy
• behaviour concerns or anxiety

They also work with social workers to make sure you are getting the best support. You can refer yourself, or your family or health professional can refer you to CTPLD.

Find out more about how CTPLD can support you on the NHS Berkshire Healthcare website.

If you have a continuing care package

If you have a children’s continuing care package, you might be eligible for NHS continuing healthcare when you turn 18.

You won’t automatically qualify. You’ll go through a transition process, which includes a new assessment. The care you get as an adult may be different from the care you currently receive.

The Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board will support you during this transition. They’ll work with you and the services involved in your care to make sure you get the right support.

What to expect

You’ll usually:

• have an initial checklist assessment when you are 16, completed by a health or social care professional
• have a full assessment after you turn 17, if you are eligible after the checklist assessment
• start your adult NHS continuing healthcare package when you turn 18
• have a review around 3 months after you turn 18 to check your care package is still right for you

If you are not eligible 

If you’re not eligible for NHS continuing healthcare, you can have an adult social care needs assessment. 

The preparing for adulthood team can help you with this.

More information

Find more information about NHS continuing healthcare in the adult social care section of this website.

Independent advice

An organisation called Beacon gives free independent advice on NHS continuing healthcare.

Visit the Beacon website or call the free helpline on 0345 548 0300.