Hospital discharge can happen quickly. Once doctors decide your relative no longer needs a hospital bed, the aim is to get them home, or to the right place to recover, as soon as it is safe. Most assessments for longer-term care now happen after they leave, not on the ward.
This guide explains how hospital discharge works nationally and at Worthing Hospital, what the discharge pathways mean, what to do if your relative is sent home without a care package, and the local services in West Sussex that help people settle back in.
In short: get involved early, tell the ward what your relative needs at home and what you can and cannot do, and ask what support has been arranged before they leave.
How hospital discharge works: discharge to assess
Discharge to assess means your relative leaves hospital once they are medically ready, and their longer-term needs are assessed afterwards, ideally at home. The thinking is that people are assessed more accurately in their own surroundings than in a hospital bed, and that long hospital stays can cause loss of strength and confidence.
NHS England guidance is clear that going home, or back to where the person usually lives, is the default. It is also clear that people do not have a right to stay in hospital once they no longer need inpatient care while waiting for a preferred option.
What are discharge pathways 0 to 3?
Hospitals sort discharges into four pathways, based on the support a person is likely to need.
| Pathway | What it means | Typical example |
|---|---|---|
| Pathway 0 | Home with no new health or care needs | Someone recovered and managing as before |
| Pathway 1 | Home with new or extra support, such as reablement, therapy or home care | Someone who needs help washing and dressing for a few weeks |
| Pathway 2 | A short stay in a community bed for rehabilitation that cannot happen at home, usually up to six weeks | Someone who needs daily therapy to walk again |
| Pathway 3 | A care home placement, for people likely to need long-term residential or nursing care | Someone with very high needs where home is not safe |
Pathway 3 is meant to be used only in exceptional cases, and NHS Continuing Healthcare should be considered. You can read the national model on the NHS England discharge pathway page.
Worthing Hospital discharge support
Worthing Hospital is run by University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust. The trust has a Discharge Team and a patient discharge lounge at Worthing, where patients may wait for transport or medicines on the day they leave.
The trust says the healthcare team will discuss discharge and transport with the patient, and involve carers, family or friends if the patient wishes. Its discharge page also says that where extra care is needed after discharge, it is provided free of charge until a review of care needs takes place, usually within a few days.
Behind the scenes, Transfer of Care hubs in Sussex coordinate referrals for patients ready to leave hospital. For example, the Home First service run by Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust, which has a Worthing team, receives referrals from these hubs and provides rehabilitation, reablement and recovery at home, seven days a week between 8am and 8pm.
What to ask the ward
- What is the expected date of discharge?
- Which pathway is my relative on, and what support has been arranged?
- Who is the named contact on the ward or in the discharge team?
- What medicines are they going home with, and have any changed?
- Is any equipment needed, such as a commode, raised toilet seat or frame, and who is delivering it?
- When will the review of their care needs happen, and who will do it?
Hospital discharge without a care package: what to do
If your relative is being discharged, or has come home, without the care they need, act straight away. Do not wait for things to settle.
- Speak to the nurse in charge before they leave. Explain specifically what your relative cannot do alone, such as getting to the toilet at night or managing stairs.
- Be clear about your own limits. Hospitals must involve unpaid carers in discharge planning. Carers UK advises that professionals must check you are willing and able to care, and that it is your choice. If you cannot provide the care expected, say so clearly and ask for it to be recorded.
- Ask for the discharge plan in writing, including what support has been arranged and when it starts.
- If they are already home, contact West Sussex County Council adult social care on 01243 642121 and ask for an urgent needs assessment. The same number is used out of hours in an emergency.
- Raise concerns formally if needed. The hospital’s Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) can help, and you can make a complaint.
Can you refuse an unsafe discharge?
You can raise concerns, ask for the discharge to be reviewed, and decline to provide care you cannot manage. Your relative, if they have capacity, can also decline services they do not want. What neither of you can do is insist they stay in hospital once they no longer need hospital care. University Hospitals Sussex states that patients will not be able to remain in hospital if they choose not to accept the onward care offered. So the realistic goal is to make sure a safe plan is in place, not to block discharge altogether.
If your relative lacks capacity to make decisions about their care, decisions must be made in their best interests, involving family and anyone with lasting power of attorney.
Home from hospital services in West Sussex
Several free services help people settle back at home after a stay at Worthing Hospital or other hospitals serving the county.
Support at Home After Hospital
Age UK West Sussex, Brighton & Hove leads this free West Sussex service, in partnership with Guild Care and Carers Support West Sussex and supported by West Sussex County Council. It offers up to six weeks of practical and emotional support after discharge, for example help with shopping and prescriptions, company, getting to appointments, and paperwork. It does not provide personal care. You can refer yourself or ask a professional or relative to refer you: call 0800 019 1310 or see the Age UK West Sussex service page.
Carers Support West Sussex hospital service
If you are the carer, Carers Support West Sussex runs a hospital service covering Worthing Hospital and other acute and community hospitals. It offers one-to-one support with discharge planning, benefits advice and emergency planning. Call 0300 028 8888.
Reablement after hospital
Reablement is short-term support at home to help someone relearn everyday tasks, such as washing, dressing and making meals, and regain confidence. It is usually provided free for up to six weeks. Many people need less care at the end of reablement than at the start. Read our guides to reablement care and care after hospital discharge.
If your relative needs more help once reablement or the free period ends, the council will assess their longer-term needs and finances. For care at home, the value of their home is not counted. If needs are mainly health-related, ask about NHS Continuing Healthcare. Our free funding checker shows what other help may be available, and our guide to free equipment and OT assessments covers aids at home.
Find care near you
Tell us your postcode and what you need help with. We pass your details to one vetted CQC-registered agency in your area — you are told who they are, and that they pay us a fee, before anything is sent.
Frequently asked questions
How much notice do you get before hospital discharge?
Sometimes very little. Hospitals are expected to start planning discharge early, and you can ask for an expected date of discharge soon after admission. Keep in touch with the ward so you are not caught out.
Is care after hospital discharge free?
Reablement is usually free for up to six weeks, and University Hospitals Sussex says extra care after discharge is free until the review of care needs, usually within a few days. After that, ongoing council care is means-tested, while NHS Continuing Healthcare is not.
Can my parent go home if they live alone?
Yes, often with support such as reablement, home care visits, a personal alarm and equipment. Tell the ward they live alone so it is part of the plan. Our guide to personal alarms and telecare may help.
What if my relative is discharged at night?
Ask the ward to avoid late discharges if your relative lives alone or has no one to meet them. If it happens, make sure they have food, medicines and a way to call for help, and contact adult social care the next day.
Who do I contact if things go wrong after discharge?
For medical concerns, contact the GP or NHS 111, or 999 in an emergency. For problems with care, contact West Sussex adult social care on 01243 642121. For issues with the discharge itself, contact the ward or the hospital’s discharge team.
The Care Panel is an independent publication. We are not a care provider and are not regulated by the Care Quality Commission, because we do not deliver care. Always check a provider’s own CQC registration and inspection report before you commit.
Written and fact-checked by The Care Panel. Last updated September 2026. Sources: NHS England model discharge pathway, University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust, Age UK West Sussex Brighton & Hove, Carers Support West Sussex, Carers UK. General information, not financial, legal or medical advice — figures are indicative and subject to change.