Home – Patients and visitors – Staying with us – Going home

Going home

It's reassuring to know when you can expect to go home and that ward staff can still be contacted after your stay.

Ward staff will do their best to keep you informed about your care during your stay and this includes providing you with a date for when you should be well enough to go home.

Our aim is to give patients a planned date of discharge within 14 hours of arrival on the ward. This enables your relatives or carers to plan their visits and work out the best way to get you home on your day of discharge.

Every inpatient now has a discharge ticket home above their hospital bed which includes a planned discharge date. Obviously this date may change depending on your medical condition and progress but staff will discuss this with you.

Please feel free to ask any member of ward staff about the plans for your discharge if there is anything you are unsure of or if you have not been told about when you can go home.

On your day of discharge you could be ready to leave as early as 10am and if you are at James Cook you may be transferred to the discharge suite to wait for your prescription and transport home. The discharge suite is based near ward 29.

Advice after discharge

For further advice, you can contact the ward you were discharged from:

Supporting your loved one on their return home from hospital

Getting your loved one home ready for their return from hospital will help to reduce the risk of being them being readmitted.  

What you can do to help 

Here are some things you can do to help get them home ready:  

  • Make sure they have their prescription medicines available, or check if they need help picking them up
  • Stock up on food and drink at home
  • Ensure their house is adequately heated and that they have clean bedding
  • Provide emotional support – leaving hospital can sometimes feel overwhelming
  • Ask staff for information leaflets and useful contact details
  • Temperature – ensure the home will be warm enough
  • Easy reach – arrange items they often use within comfortable reach
  • Sleeping arrangements – they might need to sleep downstairs temporarily
  • Bathroom access – consider grab rails or a raised toilet seat
  • Collect all dressing and necessary equipment
  • Prepare weather-appropriate clothing and footwear

Falls prevention  

The Steady on Your Feet website has lots of useful tips for your loved ones to follow to reduce their risk of falls and keep them safe and independent. There is also a self-assessment tool to assist in developing an action plan and a home safety check to identify hazards around the home. 

Accessing the right care for their needs 

  • A&E is for life-threatening illnesses and injuries only.  
  • NHS 111 online – provides quick and effective healthcare advice for everyday health conditions at the touch of a button, and can be accessed easily via any laptop, smartphone or tablet. 
  • Pharmacists can also offer advice on a range of minor illnesses such as coughs, colds, sore throats, tummy trouble and aches and pains.  

If your loved one needs care and support after they leave, staff will talk with them about how you can get this.