Hospital—school liaison: perspectives of health and education professionals supporting children with renal transplants

Abstract

This article explores collaboration between health and education staff as a key aspect of educational provision for children with chronic medical conditions, drawing upon material from interviews with eight health professionals (paediatric nephrologists and specialist renal nurses) and 11 mainstream schoolteachers involved in the care and schooling of children with renal transplants. Notwithstanding the apparent existence of good practice, a complex interplay of attitudinal, institutional and wider political and economic factors is identified that is likely to undermine the effectiveness of collaboration between health and education professionals. The importance of hospital—school liaison — that is, of a proactive, preventative and hence systematic and strategic nature — is highlighted. Such findings have a particular relevance for policy and practice in the context of the current Every Child Matters agenda, and are likely to have wider applicability to the education of chronically-ill children at large.