Display Patient Information Leaflets

Date issued: October 2024   

For review: October 2026

Ref:  A-434/BH/Diabetes/Diabetes Transitioning to adult care v3

PDF: Diabetes transitioning to adult care.pdf[pdf] 165KB

What is transition and why do I need it?

Diabetes can have a real impact on your life, and your family’s. For a healthy and happy life, it is really important you get good support around both the practical parts of managing your diabetes (like carb counting and working out your insulin dose) and also dealing with the emotional side of having diabetes. This is especially important when you are moving from one service to another, because it can be hard getting used to different people or new ways of doing things.

Transition into adult care is about making sure you have all the skills you need to manage your diabetes independently.

It is the opportunity to meet the “Adult team” with your current paediatric team.

Transition appointments usually start from the age of 16 with most transferring to the Adult team by 19.

Nurse clinics will be held at:

Estover health Centre

Leypark Walk

PL6 8UE

As young adults we start to think about finishing school, moving away from home, starting university or work.

We are here to support you to independently manage your diabetes. You may already be managing more and more of your own treatments.

Transition will:

• Treat you as an individual and enable you to set your own goals and targets.

• Be flexible and move through transition at your own pace.

• Offer Young people  appointments with an Adult Diabetes Specialist Nurse wherever possible to suit you.

• Link into other health services.

• Provide you with new points of contact to seek support between appointments via telephone and email.

What is different about transition?

• There will be an Adult diabetes Consultant and Nurse at your appointment as well as your usual Consultant.

• We will start talking more directly to you about your diabetes instead of your parents.

• We will help you to develop more control over your diabetes and will support you to manage your diabetes in a way to suit you.

• We will start to talk about managing  alcohol, contraception, family planning and driving.

• We will also talk about managing  diabetes at work or university.

• The diabetes itself doesn't change but how you can manage it does.

• We will help prepare you for the Adult clinics and GP service.

Other Links

• Find out about Diabetes and driving

• More information about Alcohol and Diabetes

• Sexual Health In Plymouth

• NHS Talking Therapies by Plymouth Options

• Diabetes UK

• Diabetes and Sport 

• Plymouth Diabetes Centre

• NHS 111 Get help for your symptoms

• Young people’s diabetes management at Digibete