Our Transition Team has been shortlisted for a national award for their work with young people with learning disabilities.
The NHS Humber Health Partnership Transition Team (South Bank) has been nominated for a HSJ award for patient safety. This is for work in partnership with Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust (RDaSH).
Together, they’ve created gold-standard, multidisciplinary transition clinics for young people with learning disabilities, addressing the gap between paediatric and adult healthcare services. Delivered in specialist schools and colleges, the clinics involve joint working across health, education, and social care.
This model identifies unmet needs, ensures safe care transitions, and improves long-term outcomes. More than 80 individuals were added to the learning disability register, enabling vital annual health checks.
The clinics use shared tools like ‘Ready, Steady, Go’ – a programme designed to help young people get skills to manage their health condition – and hospital passports, which help ensure people’s healthcare needs are met – to personalise care. A dedicated Transition Support Worker now supports clinic delivery and ongoing education.
Lead Nurse Transition, Holly O’Connor, said: “To be nationally recognised is incredible. This work is all about improving the outcomes for our young people. Patient safety is so important to us.
“This work uncovered a lot of patients who were not on the learning disability register, and some had learning disabilities but were undiagnosed. We came across referrals not being chased or done correctly.
“Following on from this success, we’re hoping to mirror this in North East Lincolnshire. I would like to acknowledge and celebrate the hard work that was put into this by Learning Disability and Complex Transition Specialist Nurse, Emma Weston, and Jackie Pashley and Samantha Smith from the St Hugh’s Specialist School Nursing Team.”
Victoria Sinclair, from the RDaSH Community Learning Disability Team, said: “We’re delighted to be recognised for the work we’ve done. This partnership is making a real difference to young people in North Lincolnshire.”
The awards ceremony will take place on 20 November at Evolution in London.