Health News: Transitional care - Paediatricians to ask GPs foradvice

Professor David Hall, who is working on a programme for the Departmentof Health, to ensure young people make a smooth transition into adultcare, said GPs had made progress in developing effective training forworking with young people.

Hall, who works in community paediatrics at the University of Sheffield'said: "Young people complain bitterly that though they may be managingtheir own medication, paediatricians still treat them as children. It'snot hi-tech but requires doctors to make quite simple changes to theirattitudes and behaviour."

He said GPs were good at "hands-on" training through direct observationor video recordings of consultations, practices that were less common inhospitals.

He added training was also being considered for consultants who work inadult care. This would help them understand the difference in treatingyoung people who had grown up with diseases since childhood and peoplewho developed conditions as adults.