Scottish Adult Congenital Cardiac Service (SACCS)
Transition service
Information for patients
Moving from the children’s hospital to the adult service can be an anxious time for you and your family.
The adult congenital team at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital like to meet you before your care is moved to the adult service. This usually happens at the Transition clinic at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow.
Your cardiology consultant can refer to you this clinic.
The clinic is run by a cardiologist and a nurse from the adult team. During the clinic you will get an Echocardiogram and an ECG and the doctor will talk to you about the results of your tests.
Although your family should come with you to your clinic visit, doctor will start to talk to you more about your heart and your health.
Informed choices
As a teenager you will be starting to think about your future and will be making important lifestyle decisions.
When you turn 16 years old, you will be asked to sign consent forms rather than your parents, so it is a good idea to try to learn more about your heart condition now.
In order to help you to make informed choices about your health, you will be given health education and information about your heart condition at this clinic visit.
Future care
Before you leave the clinic, a plan will be made about where you will be seen next. This a joint decision between you, your parents and the medical team. Some patients will want to continue under the paediatric team for a bit longer, but other patients are ready to move across to an adult hospital.
Health care professionals can’t talk to anyone without your consent once you turn 16 years old, but, with your permission, we welcome parents and family at all clinic appointments.
Attending routine clinics as an adult, even if you feel well, is very important. For many patients it is simply a matter of carrying out some investigations (ECG, Echo and occasionally MRI or exercise tests). If things do start to change with your heart, we may need to consider other treatment options.
While any future surgery or intervention on your heart will take place at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital, your care will be shared between the Golden Jubilee and your local cardiology team.
The Nurse Practitioners at the Golden Jubilee are available for advice and support at any time, and can also be contacted if you have a change in your symptoms or life circumstances that might be relevant to your health (for example, planning a family or going travelling).