Nobody wants to stay in hospital for longer than they need to, so we try and start our discharge planning on the day you are admitted as an inpatient.
Our doctors and nurses will discuss with you an expected date of discharge so you can make any necessary arrangements. When the time arrives for you to leave, the staff on your ward will advise you of the procedure and make sure you have everything you need. They will give you any documents relevant to your discharge and will also advise you about medication and any follow up appointments.
It is important that you do not leave the ward until you have spoken to a trained nurse and have received your discharge advice.
On the day of discharge, it is normal practice for you to be transferred to the discharge lounge to wait for any outstanding medications or transport.
Discharge to Assess
We aim to work with our patients, their families and carers to ensure they don’t stay in hospital any longer than they should. It is essential that when someone is fit for discharge and no longer requires acute (hospital) care that they go to their normal residence, whether that be their own home, or a care facility.
Did you know that it has been estimated that 10 days of bed rest for healthy older people can equate to 10 years of muscle gaining and loss of function? This is something we really try to avoid by working with our patients.
We work to the Discharge to Assess process, this ensures our patients receive the right care, at the right time by the right healthcare professional and any assessments for long term care needs are carried out in the most appropriate setting for the patient.