Leaving Hospital: What To Do
Discharge: the point at which hospital care ends and whatever comes next has to already be arranged.
Last revised
Most things that go wrong afterwards are medicines and follow-up, and both are settled in the hour before you leave.
Key takeaways
- Discharge plan: should cover medicines, follow-up and any care needed at home
- Medicines: you should leave with a supply and written instructions
- Most useful single change: Ask which of your usual medicines have been stopped, started or changed, and why.
- Commonest mistake: Restarting old medicines that were deliberately stopped.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to get help" below apply to you.
Do
- Ask which of your usual medicines have been stopped, started or changed, and why
- Get the follow-up arrangement in writing, including who is responsible for it
- Ask what symptoms mean you should seek help, and who to contact out of hours
- Check that any equipment or home care is in place before the discharge date
Do not
- Restarting old medicines that were deliberately stopped
- Leaving without a written summary of what changed
- Assuming your GP already knows what happened
The figures behind the list
Each item above follows from these, published in the guidance named at the foot of the page.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Discharge plan | should cover medicines, follow-up and any care needed at home |
| Medicines | you should leave with a supply and written instructions |
| Your GP | receives a discharge summary, though not always immediately |
| If you are not ready | raise it before you leave, or contact the hospital PALS team |
Where to go next
- Leaving Hospital: The Quick Reference
- The Evidence on Leaving Hospital, Without the Hype
- Leaving Hospital — the reference entry
- Accessing Your Health Records: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise
- Getting Help From a Pharmacy: What the Evidence Actually Says
When to get help
Seek urgent help if you develop a fever, worsening pain, breathlessness, or redness and swelling at a wound or drip site after discharge. Contact the ward, your GP or 111, and 999 if it is severe.
Where this comes from
- NHS — Being discharged from hospital
- NICE — Transition between inpatient hospital settings and community or care home settings
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarised or generalised beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to a GP, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 999.