Young Adult Diabetes Service

The Young Adult Service

If you have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, and are aged 19 to 24 years, you will be supported by the Young Adult Diabetes Team. This leaflet will help you understand what to expect.

The Young Adult Service is there to support you, help you live well with diabetes, and move you smoothly from the Children’s Diabetes Team to the Adult Diabetes Service. You may have already met some of the Adult Diabetes team at your appointments with the children’s team.

There is never any judgement, we all have good days and bad days, and we are here to support you through it all.

• Maybe you need help with your technology, accessing services, or advice on a particular issue that is impacting how you care for yourself? If you do, please contact the service team.

• We can come to your consultant appointments with you, see you at home, and speak to your GP, college, university, or employer, if you need us to.

To make sure you get your appointment details and we can contact you, it is important that you tell us of any telephone or address changes.

If you are unable to attend your appointment, you should contact us to rearrange it. This is very important, as it is hospital policy not to offer further appointments if a patient has missed a clinic appointment without letting us know first.

You can contact the Young Adult Diabetes Service for non-emergency advice via email, phone, or text message Monday to Friday 9am to 2pm (excluding bank holidays). Outside of these hours or in an emergency, you will need to contact the 111 service, or go to your local Emergency Department.

What’s different in Young Adult services?

• You will have appointments every four to six months with the adult diabetes consultant. How often you have these appointments will depend on your individual needs.

• If you need help or advice in-between these appointments, you can contact the young adult diabetes specialist nurses (see contact details at the end of this leaflet).

• Your routine blood tests will be monitored at least once a year. These tests will also include HbA1c, as you will no longer have this tested using the finger prick machine in clinic.

• Your care processes will now follow adult guidelines, which are a little different to those in the children’s service.

• You may be offered structured education programmes, like KAT1E (Kent Adult Type 1 Education).

What happens if I am at university and away from home?

• If this applies to you, we advise you to register with the GP on campus for prescriptions and emergency management while you are away.

• Outpatient appointments for review with the Young Adult team can be arranged to suit you. These appointments can be virtual or face-to-face, and can be during holidays or when you are home.

• Alternatively, your diabetes care can be transferred to the diabetes team nearer to your university.

What about my prescriptions and equipment?

• When you turn 18, contact your GP for a medical exemption certificate. Once the application for this has been processed, you will receive a medical prescription exemption card and get free prescriptions.

• If you use a pump, the funding will be taken over by the Community Diabetes Team. The Children’s Diabetes Team will tell the community team, that you are moving to the adult services.

  • Community Diabetes Team
    Telephone: 0300 123 3167
    Email

• If you use a continuous glucose monitor, funding will continue in the same way from the community team.

• The four-year warranty for your pump stays the same.

• If you are not sure how to order supplies, ask your parents or carers, or contact the Young Adult Diabetes Service on the below number.

  • Young Adult Diabetes Service
    Mobile: text or ring 07976 072656
    Email

Remember, we are here to support you.