Sheffield Young People and Healthcare Transition Conference 2026
Thursday 08 October 2026
This year, Sheffield Children’s hosted the “Sheffield Young Person and Healthcare Transition Conference 2026”, delivered in partnership with Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the NIHR HealthTech Research Centre in Paediatrics and Child Health.
This conference brought together professionals from a variety of areas to examine the role of digital solutions in the NHS and gain key insights to help improve support for young people in healthcare including transitions. During the day there were inspiring keynote talks and a showcase of practical, bite-sized innovations driving real change for young people to share and inspire.
This was the first conference to be hosted at The Spark, Sheffield Children’s new world-class facility and home to the National Centre of Child Health Technology, and welcomed 80 people in-person and over 100 delegates online. Speakers and delegates explored the latest research, innovation, and lived experiences of young people transitioning between services and different care pathways.
The role of health technologies and digital innovations was a central theme of the event. Several sessions considered how emerging technologies enable young people to manage their healthcare more independently at home and provide much needed support outside the hospital, as well as how they can support better access to care within the NHS. The conference also addressed the challenges young people, families, and healthcare professionals face as these technologies advance, on both an individual and systemic level.
A highlight of this event was the involvement of the Sheffield Children’s Youth Forum throughout. Youth Forum members confidently chaired sessions and introduced speakers, ensuring the day ran smoothly. One of the young people also contributed an essay to the online poster session which highlighted their concerns about the use of artificial intelligence in the NHS, shedding light on an issue many young people feel strongly about. Providing a shared space for healthcare professionals and young people to come together and discuss both the latest developments in paediatric healthcare and the challenges that come with them was a valuable learning opportunity.
Dr Priya Narula, who leads the Trust’s transition service and led the organising committee, said:
“It was excellent to see colleagues from all over the country coming together for this conference and every session provoked a conversation and shared learning. A highlight was hearing about innovative technologies being developed to support Young People and Healthcare Transition and wonderful to see young people from the Sheffield Children’s Hospital Youth Forum brilliantly co-chairing the sessions.”
Thank you to the event organisers, speakers, delegates, and importantly, the Sheffield Children’s Youth Forum, for putting together such a fantastic event with us.
To find out more about how the NIHR HealthTech Research Centre in Paediatrics and Child Health supports young people transitioning to different health services and adult care, visit our Transition Theme page using the link below.
We are excited to announce that we are partnering with the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health to deliver another conference at The Spark later this year on the 2nd-3rd December, the Paediatrics and Child Health Technology Conference 2026. To find out more, please visit the event page using the link below.