Supporting young people to thrive beyond children's services
Shining a light on our children’s nursing heroes as we celebrate our first ever National Children’s Nurses Day
For many young people living with long‑term or complex health conditions, turning 18 can mean navigating one of the biggest changes in their healthcare journey.
Moving from children’s to adult services can be daunting, and when transition is poorly managed, young people can experience poorer outcomes and feel unsupported at a time when stability matters most.
At Barts Health, Neil Fletcher and Jessica Semedo are helping to reshape what modern children’s nursing looks like. Bringing together clinical care, education, quality improvement, digital innovation and national leadership, they work to ensure every young person feels confident, heard and supported as they move into adult healthcare.
They champion the principle that transition is not a single event, but a carefully planned process that prepares young people for adulthood while keeping their goals, aspirations and voices at the centre of care.
Over the past eight years, Neil has transformed how healthcare transition is approached across the Trust, with many services already seeing meaningful improvements.
He continues to advocate for young people with complex needs, recognising that more must be done to ensure every young person experiences a safe, seamless transition into adult services.
Neil’s influence extends beyond clinical practice. He has developed communication workshops to help staff feel more confident discussing sensitive topics such as sexual health, mental health and substance misuse with young people.
What began as a local initiative has grown through collaboration with the Education Academy and clinical teams, and is now attracting interest from organisations across London and beyond.
He has also led work to embed developmentally appropriate healthcare across the Trust, shaping policy, electronic patient records and future transition systems, while contributing to regional and national forums.
Working alongside him is Jessica Semedo, one of Barts Health’s rising nursing leaders. After training at City University London and starting her career on the children’s wards, she now works as a Roald Dahl clinical nurse specialist supporting young people with complex needs as they move into adult services.
Despite being early in her career, Jessica has already established herself as a compassionate and determined advocate for children and young people.
Jessica is passionate about ensuring young people’s voices shape the services they rely on. Through her work with the Youth Empowerment Squad, she has strengthened meaningful engagement and encouraged colleagues to work alongside young people as true partners in improvement.
She is also a visible ambassador for children’s nursing, using professional social media to celebrate the profession and inspire future nurses. Whether supporting students or newly qualified colleagues, she demonstrates that leadership is about creating opportunities for others and finding practical solutions to improve care.
Their dedication reminds us that great nursing is not only about caring for patients today, but empowering them to thrive into the future.
As we celebrate the first ever National Children’s Nurses Day on Monday 29 June 2026, we’d like to thank our incredible children’s nurses for their extraordinary dedication and compassion to care for babies, children, young patients and their families.