# Hospital discharge and follow-up: leave with a clear care plan https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/hospital-discharge-and-follow-up/ Publisher: Med Easy Source material checked: 2026-10-20 Editorial information; no registered-clinician review is claimed. General UK healthcare information. Country-specific rules and provider examples retain the limits stated in the text. Fees are dated examples, not live quotes. ## Short answer Before leaving hospital, establish the current medicine instructions, pending results, follow-up arrangements, required equipment and the team responsible for each next step. Ask how the discharge information reaches your usual care team and whom to contact if the agreed plan does not happen. Raise practical barriers before departure. Leaving hospital is a transfer of responsibility, not just a departure time. A useful discharge conversation identifies the next care team, the information it needs and what you should do if an expected appointment, medicine or support arrangement does not happen. ## Key points - A discharge document should be translated into clear actions and responsible teams. - Pending results need an identified reviewer and a way for you to receive an explanation. - Equipment, transport and home support should be confirmed rather than assumed. ## Start the practical conversation before departure day Tell the ward team early about anything that could affect returning home: stairs, difficulty preparing food, access to a bathroom, communication needs or a lack of someone able to help. Describe what a family member can realistically do, rather than assuming their presence means they can provide care. Ask who coordinates the discharge discussion and how you can contribute. The NHS discharge guide describes an assessment of ongoing care needs and involvement of the patient. With your permission, carers can contribute. Request communication in a form you can use. If a proposed arrangement would not work in your home, explain the specific barrier while there is still time to discuss it. Do not wait until transport has arrived to mention a known access problem. Section link: https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/hospital-discharge-and-follow-up/#start-the-practical-conversation-before-departure-day - [NHS discharge guide](https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/hospitals/going-into-hospital/being-discharged-from-hospital/) ## Make the handover document understandable Ask for the discharge summary or the relevant written instructions, and check your identifying details and usual GP practice. Clarify how the information will reach the next care team and whether you need to take any action. A document being generated does not tell you whether a recipient has received it, understood the request or agreed to provide the next service. Use three headings when reading it: what happened in hospital, what happens next and who is responsible. Ask for unfamiliar abbreviations to be explained. If a section says “GP to review”, find out the purpose, suggested timing and how you should arrange that review. Keep a copy accessible for later appointments while protecting it on a shared device. Our health-records guide explains why different records may not appear in the same place immediately. Section link: https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/hospital-discharge-and-follow-up/#make-the-handover-document-understandable - [health-records guide](https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/access-gp-health-records/) ## Ask the team to explain every medicine change Bring your pre-admission medicine information into the discharge conversation and ask the team to explain additions, changes and medicines that have been stopped. Request clear instructions about the take-home supply and who will arrange continuing prescriptions. Do not assume that an old repeat list has automatically been updated, or independently combine conflicting instructions without asking a pharmacist or clinician. NICE’s medicines optimisation guidance addresses accurate information at care transitions and communication with relevant professionals. A practical question is: “Which list should I follow now, and who do I contact if it differs from my usual repeat prescription?” Ask about any planned monitoring and the person responsible for organising it. Check the actual quantity supplied and arrange the next prescription in time; the supply period can vary by medicine and local arrangements. Section link: https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/hospital-discharge-and-follow-up/#ask-the-team-to-explain-every-medicine-change - [NICE’s medicines optimisation guidance](https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng5/chapter/Recommendations) ## Give pending results and referrals a named owner A test taken before discharge may not have a final result when you leave. Ask which results are outstanding, who will review them, how you will be contacted and what to do if the expected contact does not occur. Do the same for referrals and follow-up appointments. “You will hear from us” is less useful than a named service and a clear route for an enquiry. For example, a discharge letter may mention a scan result and a later outpatient review. Treat them as separate tasks: establish who explains the scan and who arranges the appointment. Note whether you must book, wait for an invitation or contact the service after a stated interval. Do not interpret silence as confirmation that a result is normal or that no further care is required. Raise uncertainty through the team identified in the plan. Section link: https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/hospital-discharge-and-follow-up/#give-pending-results-and-referrals-a-named-owner ## Check that equipment and home support are workable If equipment is part of the discharge plan, ask who supplies it, whether it will be in place when needed and how you will learn to use it. Clarify maintenance, consumables and the contact for faults. Explain any difference between the home environment described in the assessment and the actual arrangement, including where equipment can be stored or used. NICE NG27 concerns transitions for adults with social care needs and emphasises coordinated planning. Ask for the start date and contact details of agreed support, plus a plan if a visit is missed. Clarify which elements are health services, which are social care and whether any charges or financial assessment apply. Do not assume that every service mentioned during a hospital stay will be provided indefinitely or without charge. Section link: https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/hospital-discharge-and-follow-up/#check-that-equipment-and-home-support-are-workable - [NICE NG27](https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng27/chapter/Recommendations) ## Plan the journey and the first evening Tell the team if you cannot make a suitable journey home. NHS transport guidance distinguishes ordinary travel arrangements from assessed non-emergency patient transport. Ask about the appropriate arrangement for your circumstances rather than assuming a hospital stay automatically includes an ambulance home. Confirm the destination and any access needs. Consider the first practical tasks after arrival: entering the property, obtaining food, using the prescribed equipment and contacting the care team. Ask the hospital for any procedure-specific advice about travel or having someone with you; this guide cannot provide it. Keep the discharge contact details, instructions and follow-up information together. A simple one-page plan can be easier to use when tired than searching several letters for the right number or appointment instruction. Section link: https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/hospital-discharge-and-follow-up/#plan-the-journey-and-the-first-evening - [NHS transport guidance](https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/hospitals/going-into-hospital/how-to-organise-transport-to-and-from-hospital/) ## Raise gaps and know how to get help afterwards Before leaving, explain any part of the plan you cannot follow or do not understand. Ask the responsible team to resolve the gap or document the next action. If communication remains difficult, the ward manager or local PALS service in England may help you find the right person. Local arrangements and terminology vary across the UK. Once home, use the contact and escalation instructions provided for your care. For a missing routine appointment, contact the named booking or clinical team; for a new health concern, use the appropriate clinical service instead of waiting for an administrative reply. If you later complain about the discharge process, keep that separate from arranging any care you still need. Record the gap, its effect and the organisation asked to put it right. Section link: https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/hospital-discharge-and-follow-up/#raise-gaps-and-know-how-to-get-help-afterwards - [PALS service in England](https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/other-health-services/patient-advice-and-liaison-services-pals) ## Before, during and after your appointment ### before - Tell the ward team about home access and the help actually available. - Bring the usual medicine list into the discharge discussion. - Ask who coordinates the discharge and practical arrangements. ### during - Identify the current instructions, take-home supply and continuing prescription plan. - Assign a responsible team to outstanding results and follow-up bookings. - Confirm equipment, support, transport and contact arrangements in writing. ### after - Keep the discharge summary available for the next care appointment. - Follow up missing planned contact through the service named in the plan. - Raise new health concerns through the appropriate clinical route. ## Questions to ask - Which written instructions and medicine list should I follow after discharge? - Who will review each outstanding result and explain it to me? - Which follow-up appointments must I book and which will be arranged? - Will the required equipment, transport and support be ready when needed? - Who should I contact if a planned service fails to arrive or I have a new concern? ## Frequently asked questions ### Does leaving hospital mean all my test results have been reviewed? Not necessarily. Ask which results remain outstanding, who reviews them, how you will be contacted and what to do if the expected contact does not occur. https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/hospital-discharge-and-follow-up/#faq-1 ### Will my usual repeat prescription automatically match the discharge medicines? Do not assume that it already does. Ask the hospital and your usual care team to explain changes, the take-home supply and arrangements for continuing prescriptions. https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/hospital-discharge-and-follow-up/#faq-2 ### What if I cannot manage the proposed plan at home? Tell the ward or discharge team about the specific difficulty before leaving. Ask who can review the plan, what support is available and how unresolved gaps will be addressed. https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/hospital-discharge-and-follow-up/#faq-3 ## Sources - [NHS: being discharged from hospital](https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/hospitals/going-into-hospital/being-discharged-from-hospital/) — NHS or public authority - [NICE NG27: hospital and community transitions for adults with social care needs](https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng27/chapter/Recommendations) — NHS or public authority - [NICE NG5: medicines optimisation and transfer information](https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng5/chapter/Recommendations) — NHS or public authority - [NHS: organising transport to and from hospital](https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/hospitals/going-into-hospital/how-to-organise-transport-to-and-from-hospital/) — NHS or public authority - [NHS: find patient advice and liaison services](https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/other-health-services/patient-advice-and-liaison-services-pals) — NHS or public authority ## Related guides - https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/access-gp-health-records/ - https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/accessible-appointments-and-interpreters/ - https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/prepare-for-healthcare-appointment/