Adulthood

Staying healthy as an adult

Take control of your care as you move on up to adult health services.

Your Right

NHS Pledge

Click the boxes below…

Everyone works together

Everyone who helps care for you from the NHS should work together to support you. They should all know what choices you have made. They should work with Education and Social Care staff too, if this will help you stay healthy and happy.

You get support

The NHS should make sure you get the right support when you move from children’s to adult services. Everything should be explained to you and you should have a say in how this happens.

You stay healthy

NHS staff will help you understand how to live healthily all the time. They shouldn't just treat you when you are ill.

Information is shared

Staff in different NHS services should share information about you to make sure you get the best care.

A helping hand

If you help look after someone else in your family, you have the right to ask for help. This is called a carers assessment and it will make sure you have enough time for yourself, to have fun and stay healthy. You can find out more here

Plan for the Future

If you are using children's health services, the NHS will help you plan for the future. This should start when you are 14.

Wellbeing and Adulthood Leaflet

Wellbeing and Adulthood Checklist

Corey's story

Corey

It was this huge room. The doctor said ‘follow me in’, and I thought he meant just him. And then everybody followed in like a big parade. I thought ‘what’s going on here?!’ They made me get half undressed and stand on a mat, and ludicrously attempt to make a few steps in from of all these health professionals.

They were talking about me, kind of whispering like I didn’t understand and I was invisible. This was supposed to be the gateway into adult services, and they weren’t treating me like an adult at all. I just wanted it to be over.

‘Answer these questions, do as we say!’ Like the physio would ask me her question and before she’d finished, the speech and language therapist would come in, or orthotics would come in. Everyone piling in on me. They weren’t treating me like a person at all, a human being.

But I am independent, making my own choices every day. You should always get your voice heard, but my point of view wasn’t worth hearing. If I’d have known my rights, I would have spoken out. I would just like them to treat me with more respect, with more compassion, with more dignity.

I’ve always known my dreams and where I want to go in life. It’s all my journey, nobody else’s.

What do NHS staff say?

"I don't want young people to drop out"

Dr Duncan Law
Consultant Clinical Psychologist

We know that there's a particular issue around the transition periods from 18 plus. So as a clinician I don't want young people to drop out of an intervention that might help them just because there are these really false service distinctions. I want young people to get the help that they want and I want them to continue working with me or colleagues for as long as is helpful for them. So it's really important that we get the transitions right so that they don't drop out. I don't want to see a young person drop out of a treatment just because of a service structure.

"A health service rather than an illness service"

Anne Breaks
Speech and Language Therapist

I think the fact the NHS are asking people to make healthy choices to look after themselves, their general wellbeing and being a well service rather than an illness service. I think that if you've got children and young people feeling that they are being involved in that and that they are being listened to you're much more likely for them to be able to take on board and go along with the ideas that they are being asked to follow in the treatment plans and things like that. They must be listened to in order to take that on board.

Find out about the Ready Steady Go Transition Programme

Dr Arvind Nagra,
Consultant Paediatric Nephrologist

Got a question or a complaint? Click here

Children in care

Local authorities and the NHS should work together to help you make healthy decisions. When you are 16 they should work together to make sure you are supported by the NHS services you need when you leave care. This planning should start when you are 14 and you should be involved in planning with health professionals and social workers.

You can find about leaving care here.

What about my parents and carers?

If you use lots of different services your mum, dad or carer can help you manage. But the NHS should make sure everyone knows what you want, not just what your parents think.

As you get older the NHS should help you get ready for adult services, where you will be in charge of your health. This might mean your parents take a step back, and health professionals start supporting you to make decisions about the future.