Hospital and benefits - Discharge from hospital

If you have spent time as an in-patient in a hospital, it is the hospital's duty to arrange a discharge plan before you return home.

The hospital should carry out a needs assessment to assess the level of care you need will need in order to cope at home safely. Although this will be co-ordinated by a hospital social worker or care manager, your local council's social services department should also be involved.

No one should be discharged from hospital until they have had this assessment.

The help you can get depends on your care needs. For more information, see the Turn2us section on Help from the local council.

Any carers you have should be involved in the planning of this assessment and their needs taken into account when the hospital is assessing your needs. They are also entitled to a Carer's Assessment in their own right, which could be carried out at the same time or separately. For more information, see the Turn2us section on Help from the local council (Carers).

You remain the responsibility of the National Health Service (NHS) for six weeks after discharge, after which you become the responsibility of the local council's social services department.

If you are not assessed before leaving hospital, contact your social services department through your local council

See the NHS Choices website for more information on leaving hospital

Age UK have useful information on going into hospital and discharge procedures