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Staying in hospital

Going home

The staff looking after you will work together to make a plan for when you leave hospital. This is sometimes called “being discharged”. A social worker will be included in these discussions, if needed.

Your hospital discharge

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You will be given an estimated day of discharge – this is the expected date that you will be well enough to leave hospital. Please note that this date may change, but you will be kept informed if it does, as well as the reasons why.

On the day you leave

On the day you leave hospital, we will aim for you to leave as early as possible. We don’t want to keep you in hospital any longer than necessary.

On leaving hospital, you will be given:

  • a discharge summary – this is a letter that includes details of your treatment and any ongoing medication, which will also be send to your GP
  • up to seven days of medication, if needed (a member of the team will discuss with you how to take your medication and any possible side effects)

While you wait to be picked up from hospital, you will be transferred to our Same Day Discharge Centre. This is a comfortable area where you will continue to receive nursing care, as well as food and refreshments.

Support after your stay

During your stay, we may ask you some questions to ensure that when you go home, you have the right support in place.

This could be about:

  • where you live, including how accessible your home is and how many stairs you have to climb
  • whether you have relatives or friends who can support you during your recovery

We may ask about any help you get from social services or community health professionals such as district nurses. This conversation will also help us understand whether any referrals need to be made for you, for example to community services, which we can arrange.

Who to contact for help once you have left hospital

Your care will be transferred back to your GP once you have been discharged from hospital.

However, if you have any issues when you leave hospital, please contact the Care Coordination Team on 01902 443 322. They’re available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The team can also signpost you to other local services that can help.

In some cases, you may be able to contact your ward for support with your follow-up care. If this is the case, details will be included in your discharge letter.

If you need urgent care, use NHS 111 or dial 999 for an emergency.

Frequently asked questions

Leaving hospital as soon as you are well enough is proven to be better for your physical and emotional recovery. Staying in hospital for any longer than needed can lead to you becoming less independent, losing muscle strength, experiencing sleep deprivation or catching infections. As soon as you are well enough, the best place for you is at home (or the place you call home) where you can continue to recover in a familiar environment.

As we are a very busy hospital, this will also allow us to prepare your bed space for the next poorly patient who needs it.

One of our discharge facilitators will visit you to talk to you about going home and help you and your family organise any short-term support you may need. They can also support you if you need to be discharged to an alternative setting, such as a rehabilitation ward or care home.

Please let the discharge facilitator know anything that may prevent you from leaving hospital when you are well enough. Please also let them know about any NHS or care services you are currently receiving, for example mental health services or a care package.

Wherever possible, please arrange for someone to pick you up from the hospital. Please also ask them to bring in a full set of outdoor clothes for you.

On the day you leave hospital – your discharge day – we will aim for you to leave as early as possible. We don’t want to keep you in hospital any longer than necessary and we will need to prepare the bed space for the next patient who needs it.

On leaving hospital, you will be given:

  • A discharge summary – this is a letter that includes details of your hospital treatment and any ongoing medication. Your GP will also receive a copy of this.
  • Up to seven days of medication, if needed. A member of your clinical team will discuss how to take your medication and any possible side-effects.

While you wait to be picked up from hospital, you will be transferred to our Discharge Lounge. This is a comfortable area where you will be able to continue to receive nursing care as well as food and refreshments.

We will be asking your family or friends to support you by planning how you will get home and making sure you have everything you need, for example clothes, house keys, food and other essentials. They can also help by making arrangements to transport you home.

Please talk to a member of your clinical team before your day of discharge if you are unable to arrange your transport home.

You may need to have a follow-up appointment or additional tests. This may be back at New Cross hospital or another setting. The team caring for you will discuss this with you before you leave and you will receive a letter which will detail any future appointments.

Your care will be transferred back to your GP once you have been discharged from hospital.

However, if you have any issues when you leave hospital, please contact the Care Coordination Team on 01902 443 322 – open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The team can also signpost you to other local services that can help.

In some cases you will be able to contact your ward to support you with your follow-up care (details of this will be included in your discharge letter).

If you need urgent care, call 111 or dial 999 for an emergency.

Please contact your GP for any queries about your medication.

To feedback on your hospital stay, please visit Compliments, Feedback and Complaints

  • Your local authority adult social care department can offer you a range of support. If you are a resident of Wolverhampton, visit: City of Wolverhampton – Adult Social Care. If you are unsure which local authority you live in, you can find out by using the online postcode tool
  • Age UK provides information and advice for older people. Find your local service at Age UK
  • Silver Line is Age UK’s free helpline for older people – call 0800 4 70 80 90 24 hours a day, seven days a week or visit The Silver Line website
  • Citizen’s Advice provides advice about a wide range of topics including housing issues and benefits. Find out more at Citizens Advice