Hospital Discharge
The Facts
- A number of medium and longer–term government policy initiatives are in place which
require close collaboration and joint planning across the health and social care system
in order to deliver improved positive outcomes for patients.
- The Health Select Committee on Delayed Discharges has argued that delays in
discharge can be seen as the symptom, and cause, of poor bed management in hospitals
and a failure of communication between health and social care.
- In England the Community Care (delayed discharges etc) Act 2003 place a duty on the
NHS to notify the local Social Services department if a patient needs care after leaving
hospital. If the services are not in place the SSD will have to reimburse the hospital
at a daily rate of approx £100 per day (effective 2004)
- Many local authorities currently lack the capacity to provide sufficient intermediate
care, home care packages for patients waiting to leave hospital
Source: www.headway.org.uk
What is it?
Hospital discharge is a process and not an isolated event. It takes place once a
decision has been made that a patient is clinically fit to leave hospital.
The purpose of effective hospital discharge:
- To ensure a patient does not stay in an acute hospital environment for longer than is necessary
- To ensure that a timely and comprehensive care package is offered in a setting that will maximise the patient´s independent
Medico Home Care´s Objective
To ensure the Department of Health does not invoice social services departments for the
sum of approximately £120 per day for ’bed blocking‘
How can we help?
Many of our services are of direct relevance/applicability to meeting hospital
discharge needs, including:
- Personal care – assistance with getting up and out of bed, help with dressing undressing,
help with bathing, washing, dressing. Also assistance to and from the toilet, catheter and
colostomy care if required.
- Maintaining health – help with preparation of meals, making sure food storage areas
are hygienic, etc. Providing assistance with medicines, collection of prescriptions, etc.
- Social companionship / Emotional support – helping to provide independence and promoting
social involvement and encouragement on the road to recovery
- Domestic – help with tasks such as shopping, cleaning, laundry to provide assistance
and reassurance in the home.
The goals of effective hospital discharge to the service user are;
- Meet their needs
- Ensure they feel part of the care process (as an active partner and not disempowered)
- Experience care as a coherent pathway, not a series of unrelated activities
- Ensure they feel they have been supported and have made the right decisions about their future care
- Ensure linkage between hospital intermediate care teams and social services discharge team
 – We are only a phone call away.
Use our Branch Finder to
find out your nearest Medico office.
Further Information:
www.doh.gov.uk
www.publications.doh.gov.uk
www.ageconcern.org.uk/AgeConcern/fs37.asp
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