Collection

Hospital discharge service guidance

Guidance on how health and care systems should support the safe and timely discharge of people who no longer need to stay in hospital.

• From: Department of Health and Social Care
• Published: 21 August 2020
• Last updated: 30 January 2024 — See all updates

See Infection prevention and control in adult social care settings and Infection prevention and control in adult social care: COVID-19 supplement for information on discharging people who are likely to be infectious with COVID-19 from hospital to a care home.

Guidance documents

• Hospital discharge and community support guidance
  • 26 January 2024
  • Statutory guidance
• Discharging people at risk of or experiencing homelessness
  • 26 January 2024
  • Guidance
• Discharge from mental health inpatient settings
  • 26 January 2024
  • Statutory guidance
• Hospital discharge and community support: staff action cards
  • 27 October 2022
  • Guidance

Leaflets for patients and their family or friends

• Hospital discharge: leaflet for patients when they enter hospital
  • 13 July 2022
  • Promotional material
• Leaving hospital to go home: patient leaflet
  • 10 August 2022
  • Promotional material
• Leaving hospital to go to another place of care: patient leaflet
  • 10 August 2022
  • Promotional material
• Looking after friends or family when they leave hospital: leaflet
  • 4 August 2022
  • Promotional material

Published 21 August 2020
Last updated 30 January 2024 + show all updates

1. 30 January 2024

   Added the documents 'Discharging people at risk of or experiencing homelessness' and 'Discharge from mental health inpatient settings'.

2. 11 April 2022

   Added link to 'Hospital discharge and community support guidance'.

3. 2 February 2021

   Added link to 'Designated settings for people discharged to a care home'.

4. 21 August 2020

   First published.