Health: Transition to Adult Health Services

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff Excerpts

Wednesday 11th June 2014 Lords Chamber

[Earl Howe]

The noble Baroness raises an important point and I can reassure her that we are addressing the full range of complex needs in children and young people. She may also be interested to know that Health Education England will be working with the Royal College of General Practitioners and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health to develop a training course that will allow GPs to develop a specialist interest in the care of young people with long-term conditions. The aim is to introduce the course in September 2015. It will include a particular emphasis on the transition from childhood.

[Baroness Finlay of Llandaff (CB)]

Do the Government recognise the need for a champion, such as we have had with Dr Lidstone in Wales, who has completely transformed the transition for children with life-limiting illness?

[Earl Howe]

My Lords, the noble Baroness makes a good point. I would remind her that the national clinical director for children, Jackie Cornish, is also the national clinical director for transition, so it is very much centre-stage for her.