Discharge Procedure
If the person you are looking after goes into hospital you may have concerns about what will happen when they leave, especially if it seems they may need more care than they did before their hospital stay. A person shouldn't be discharged from hospital until all of the following criteria have been fulfilled:
Each hospital has its own discharge policy. You and the person you care for should be able to get a copy of this from the ward manager or the hospital's Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS).
The hospital's discharge policy should follow government guidance on discharge of patients, which emphasises the importance of involving patients and their carers in hospital discharge planning. As a carer, if the person you look after gives their permission, you should be kept informed throughout the process, and have your views and concerns listened to. You should also have a choice about whether you'll provide care when the person you look after leaves hospital.
The guidance says that you and the person you care for should "be involved at all stages of discharge planning, given good information, and helped to make care planning decisions and choices".
If the person in hospital does not want you to be involved in decisions about their future care you should be told about this. This will limit your ability to be involved in planning for their discharge from hospital, but it doesn't affect your right to an assessment of your own needs if you'll be caring for them.
If the person you care for has limited capacity to make their own decisions, the Mental Capacity Act will apply.