To visit our general transition homepage click  here.

What is Transition?

You may have heard your Spinal team talk about 'transition' and are unsure what this means. When you were diagnosed with a spinal condition you might have been cared for by a team in the Children's Hospital. As you get older and more independent you will find that it is important that you understand your condition and any impact it has on your life. Transition is this process of learning to understand your spinal condition and also involves the move to adult services. 

What happens in Transition?

You may have attended appointments with your parents/carers as a child but as you get older you will be supported in and expected to take more control in your appointments. This can include starting to see doctors and nurses without your parents in the room.

The children's spinal team will not just talk to you about your condition but help you think about other parts of your life your condition might impact such as school or work, sport and exercise and also relationships. You can also find out more about these on the other tabs on this website too.

By practising being seen alone, you will develop the skills needed to direct your own care. Depending on your age and treatment there may be a time when it is more appropriate to be looked after by an adult service, usually between the ages of 16 - 18. There is no set time when you will transfer to adult services, your team will talk with you to make sure it happens at a time that feels right and although the location and some of your team may change you might also find that your consultant is the same.