We will begin to talk to you about going back home as soon as possible after your admission. Please ensure you have made arrangements, including your transport home, as soon as a proposed date for your discharge is agreed. You should include your family, carers and friends when making these arrangements and talk to them well in advance. If you feel you will require extra help when you go home, please raise this as soon as possible with the nursing staff.
If your condition is stable but your recovery not complete, it may be that you are transferred to a community hospital or rehabilitation centre that will better suit your needs. We will liaise with your GP, community staff and others to ensure you get the best possible care. Every effort will be made to involve you and your family in this decision.
Wherever possible, we will try to discharge you by lunch time. Please make sure you take all your belongings with you, as well as any patient information leaflets, medicines and dressings you may need. You should also be given contact names and numbers for any queries, along with a copy of your discharge summary, which will include a list of medicines you are advised to take at home.
We have a comfortable discharge lounge staffed by experienced nurses where you will be encouraged to sit if you need to wait for medication or transport. Drinks, biscuits and sandwiches are served here throughout the day. Your family can contact the discharge lounge on 01782 672838.
Please arrange for a friend or family member to pick you up from the hospital if possible. There is a pick-up area directly outside the Main Entrance of Royal Stoke University Hospital. If you need a taxi, a member of staff will be able to arrange this for you but you will need to pay for it yourself. Your nurse or doctor will let you know if you need to be transported by ambulance and we will arrange this for you.