Hospital discharge checklist for families (printable)

A safe hospital discharge starts days before your parent leaves. Use this checklist to tell the ward what life at home is really like, find out which discharge pathway is planned, and make sure care, equipment and medicines are ready on the day. In England, NHS trusts must involve patients and their unpaid carers in discharge planning, so you have a right to be asked.

In short

• Since 1 July 2022, section 74 of the Care Act 2014 has required NHS trusts in England to involve patients and unpaid carers in discharge planning.
• Most people leave under “discharge to assess” on one of four pathways, 0 to 3; going straight into a new permanent care home (pathway 3) should be used only in exceptional circumstances.
• Council-arranged intermediate care and reablement are free for up to 6 weeks, and equipment and minor adaptations costing £1,000 or less are free.
• Anyone leaving with formal care should get a safety and welfare check on the day of discharge.
• The full NHS Continuing Healthcare assessment should normally happen in the community, not on an acute ward.
• There is no right to stay in a bed that is not clinically needed; a suitable interim option should be offered.

For the rules in full, see care after hospital discharge, and how to challenge an unsafe discharge.

The hospital discharge checklist

Stage 1: In the first few days of the stay

• Ask the ward for the name of the person planning discharge, and how best to reach them.
• Ask your parent who they want involved, and ask staff to record their consent to share information with you.
• If you hold a health and welfare lasting power of attorney, give the ward a copy.
• Ask when discharge is expected, and check again every couple of days. It can move quickly.
• Tell staff how your parent managed before admission: stairs, washing, meals, medicines, memory and any falls.
• Describe the home: steps at the door, where the toilet and bedroom are, and whether anyone else lives there.
• Be honest about what each family member is willing and able to do, and what they cannot do.
• Ask whether physiotherapy and occupational therapy assessments are planned.
• Ask the council for a carer’s assessment if you will be helping at home.
• Keep a notebook of names, dates and what you were told.

Stage 2: When the discharge plan is being made

• Ask which pathway (0, 1, 2 or 3) is planned and why.
• For care at home: ask who will provide it, how many visits a day, and the time of the first visit.
• For a short-term bed: ask where it is, how long it is expected to last and whether it is classed as free intermediate care.
• If a care home is suggested, ask in writing whether the placement is temporary or permanent.
• Ask whether an NHS Continuing Healthcare checklist will be done after discharge, or a fast-track referral if your parent is nearing the end of life.
• Ask what equipment is needed (commode, frame, raised toilet seat, hospital bed) and when it will be delivered.
• Agree how carers will get in, such as a key safe.
• Ask which medicines have changed since admission, and how the supply will be handed over.
• Ask for the discharge information to go to the GP, and for a copy for you.
• Ask how your parent will get home and at roughly what time.
• Ask who to call if something goes wrong after discharge, and write the number down.
• If you disagree with the plan, put it in writing to the ward manager or PALS before the discharge date.

Stage 3: On the day of discharge

• Confirm the time and the transport by phone that morning.
• Collect all medicines and a written list of what has changed.
• Collect the discharge letter and details of any follow-up appointments.
• Ask for spare dressings or catheter supplies, with written instructions.
• Pack glasses, hearing aids, dentures, walking aid, phone, charger and house keys.
• Bring warm, easy-to-put-on clothes and shoes.
• Check the heating is on and there is food, milk and bread in the house.
• Make sure someone will be there when your parent arrives, or soon after.
• Check the care agency or reablement team knows the arrival time.
• Check equipment has arrived and is set up where it is needed.

Stage 4: The first week home

• Check the first care visit happened. If not, ring the number you were given that day.
• Check the medicines at home against the discharge list, and ask the GP practice or pharmacist about anything that does not match.
• Put the discharge letter, medicines list and contact numbers in one folder by the phone.
• Watch for new confusion, not eating or drinking, a high temperature, pain or a fall. Call the GP or NHS 111, or 999 in an emergency.
• Book or confirm follow-up appointments and any GP review.
• Look at trip hazards, lighting and bathroom safety using our falls prevention guide.
• Note the date reablement or free intermediate care ends, and ask for a review before then.
• If care will be needed long term, ask the council for a needs assessment and prepare for the financial assessment.
• Check whether your parent could claim Attendance Allowance using our Attendance Allowance checker.

Print this checklist

Why each stage matters

The first few days are when the ward builds its picture of your parent. The national hospital discharge guidance says trusts should find out early whether each unpaid carer is willing and able to help. Saying no is allowed.

The planning stage sets the pathway, and the pathway sets the cost. Short-term council recovery support is free for up to six weeks; a permanent care home place is means-tested. Our guide to six weeks of free care after hospital explains the difference.

The day itself is where most problems show up: missing medicines, no equipment, or carers who were not told your parent was home.

The first week is when readmissions often start. Short-term support is time-limited, so plan what comes next: more reablement, a paid care package, or respite care for you.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Section 74 and the guidance above apply in England only. The practical questions still help elsewhere, but rules and charges differ: see paying for care in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Frequently asked questions

What should you ask before someone is discharged from hospital?

Ask which discharge pathway is planned, who will provide care and when the first visit is, what equipment is needed and when it arrives, which medicines have changed, and who to call if something goes wrong. Ask whether any short-term care is free for up to 6 weeks, and get the answers in writing if you can.

Do hospitals have to involve family in discharge planning?

In England, yes for unpaid carers. Since 1 July 2022, section 74 of the Care Act 2014 has required NHS trusts to involve the patient and any unpaid carer in discharge planning as soon as feasible when care is likely to be needed. Your parent should agree to information being shared, or you may need a lasting power of attorney.

What should I bring on the day my parent leaves hospital?

Bring warm, easy clothes and shoes, house keys and a bag for belongings. Before leaving, collect all medicines, a list of medicine changes, the discharge letter, follow-up appointment details and any dressings or supplies. Check glasses, hearing aids, dentures and walking aids are not left behind on the ward.

Is care free after leaving hospital?

Council-arranged intermediate care and reablement are free for up to 6 weeks, and equipment or minor adaptations costing £1,000 or less are free. After that, ongoing care is usually means-tested, and people with over £23,250 in capital normally pay the full cost. NHS Continuing Healthcare is free for those who qualify.

What happens if the care package is not ready on discharge day?

Tell the ward before your parent leaves, and ask what interim support will be put in place. Patients cannot stay in a bed that is not clinically needed, but the guidance says a suitable short-term alternative should be offered. If your parent is discharged without care that was promised, contact the discharge team and the council the same day.

Sources

• Hospital discharge and community support guidance (Department of Health and Social Care)
• Care Act 2014, section 74 (legislation.gov.uk)
• Care and Support (Charging and Assessment of Resources) Regulations 2014, regulation 3
• National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS-funded Nursing Care (GOV.UK)
• Care after a hospital stay (NHS)
• Attendance Allowance (GOV.UK)

General information, not legal or financial advice. Figures for 2026/27, checked October 2026.

Reviewed by The Care Panel team on 29 October 2026. This guide is general information about care in England, not legal, medical or financial advice. Rules and rates change; check with your council or an adviser before making decisions.