Barnardo's (NHS Young Researchers / NHS Youth Forum) · 2025
This report by NHS Young Researchers (part of the NHS Youth Forum) investigates young people's experiences of transitioning between paediatric and adult NHS services. Surveying 106 young people and 16 parents/carers, the research found that no respondents began transition within the NHS-recommended age window of 11–13; the average start age was 16.6 years, and many experienced abrupt, unstructured handovers with poor communication between services. Key harms included young people being left without any healthcare support, negative mental health impacts, and a gap in provision for 16–18-year-olds. The report recommends national transition policy reform, better communication between services, holistic person-centred care, and healthcare worker training led by young people with lived experience.