Carers' charter

6: Hospital discharge

Carers have a right to be involved in the hospital discharge process of the person they are or are going to be caring for

Each health board must ensure that, before a cared-for person is discharged from hospital, it involves you in the discharge of the cared-for person.

This means

If the person you are caring for is admitted to hospital, the health board must take appropriate steps to:-

• inform you as soon as it can about when the person you care for is to be discharged;
• invite your views about the discharge; and
• take your views into account when planning the discharge (as far as 'reasonable and practical').

This can be for either a planned (e.g., routine treatment) or unscheduled admission (e.g., emergency operation) to hospital. This applies where it is likely that you will be providing care after the person you care for has been discharged.

Your involvement in the hospital discharge process must happen whether or not the person you are caring for moves from hospital to their normal home. There may be circumstances where they move from hospital to, for example:-

• a care home;
• another NHS facility for further treatment or rehabilitation; or
• in the case of mental health patients, to a lower security hospital.

Who is responsible?

It is the responsibility of the health board ^[8] discharging the person you are caring for to involve you in the hospital discharge process.

It is important that health and social care professionals begin a conversation with you at the earliest opportunity, so you are able to share knowledge and information. Having early conversations will help to plan for appropriate support to be put in place for you and the person you care for following discharge.

The health board discharging the person you are caring for may not necessarily be the one where they normally live. In these circumstances, the health board in which the cared-for person is receiving treatment must involve you in the discharge process.