Coming into hospital can be a worrying time for you and your loved ones, all of us will do what we can to care for you in a way that makes you feel safe and supported. You can find more information about inpatient stays here.

Ensuring patients can get home quickly to their loved ones after their stay in hospital is really important for their care and outcome. It also means that we can prepare the bed space for our next patient who needs our help.

You can download our guide to leaving hospital here: Discharge Leaflet 
 

As a friend or relative of someone in hospital, there are a few things you can do to help to get them home quickly:

  • On admission, give the nursing staff contact details of any services which your loved one will need to have rearranged before discharge, for example, carers.
  • Arrange transport home from hospital
  • Make sure they have their medication and dressings, if applicable, before leaving the hospital.
  • Ask about outpatient appointments if relevant, making sure they know where they need to go, for example, a hospital or GP surgery. They will also need to know if they need to make the appointment.
  • Ask for a copy of their discharge letter.
  • Take clothes and shoes to the hospital.

Once the team looking after you say you are well enough, many patients can safely return to where they live to rest, rather than staying in hospital longer than needed.

If it is decided that you need support or care, which does not need to be provided in the hospital, we will make sure this is arranged with your involvement. Don't be afraid to ask what's happening - the teams looking after you know how important it is that we help you get home.

When you are really sick, our hospitals are the place you need to be. But once you are medically stable, you recover much better and faster at home, if you have the right support around you.