Guidance

Designated settings for people discharged to a care home

Guidance on the designated settings scheme for people discharged from hospital to a care home with a positive coronavirus (COVID-19) test.

From:
Department of Health and Social Care, UK Health Security Agency, Care Quality Commission and NHS England
Published
16 December 2020
Last updated
11 February 2022 — See all updates

This publication was withdrawn on

The information in this guidance has been superseded by Infection prevention and control in adult social care: COVID-19 supplement.

Applies to England

Documents

[Withdrawn] Discharge into care homes: designated settings

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Details

This guidance is for local authorities, clinical commissioning groups, care providers and people who use these services. It builds on the letters that were sent to directors of adult social services on 13 October 2020 and 10 November 2020.

It sets out:

  • advice on setting up designated settings, and information for local authorities and providers
  • information on discharge arrangements, and supporting individuals to ensure that their care needs and preferences are accounted for
  • additional advice on data collection, funding, visiting, and infection prevention and control (IPC) requirements

Updates to this page

Published 16 December 2020
Last updated 11 February 2022 + show all updates

  1. Updated 'Discharge into care homes: designated settings' to remove lines from section 8 on '​Information for designated setting providers on staff vaccination'. Removed the 'clarification note' which simplified aspects of the existing national guidance on designated settings.

  2. The ‘designated settings' guidance has been updated throughout in line with the latest clinical advice from UKHSA. This update reflects the change in isolation period in care settings from 14 to 10 days for cases of COVID-19. It also provides information on how individuals can end their isolation before day 10.

  3. Updated to add a call-out about the new COVID-19 variant of concern.

  4. Added link to what can and cannot be done from 29 March 2021.

  5. Updated 'Discharge into care homes: designated settings' to reflect updated information in the 'clarification note' on 14 to 90 day testing, and to reflect clarification on the need for clinical assessments on discharge from the designated setting to a care home.

  6. Updated 'Discharge into care homes: designated settings' to remove line from section 3.16 on 'As a last resort, one option could be for COVID-19 positive individuals to be temporarily discharged under existing arrangements, to a non-designated care home, with sufficient IPC arrangements, that is willing to receive the individual.'

  7. This note simplifies and clarifies aspects of the existing national guidance on designated settings published in December.

  8. First published.

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