Planning for Your Discharge
At NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, we are committed to supporting patients to leave hospital as soon as they are medically ready. Returning home promptly is often better for recovery and helps ensure hospital beds are available for those who need them most.
Patients, families, carers and loved ones all have an important role to play in planning ahead for discharge. By preparing early, together we can help make the transition from hospital to home as smooth and safe as possible.
Power of Attorney
A Power of Attorney (PoA) is a legal document that authorises someone else to make decisions on your behalf if you are unable to do so. This person is called your attorney. You can ask anybody that you trust to be your attorney.
Statistics show that around a third of patients are delayed in their discharge from hospital because they don’t have one in place. That means more time in hospital and away from home comforts.
To find out more about the importance of Power of Attorney, click here.
Home for Lunch (Preparing for Discharge)
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde supports patients to be discharged as soon as they are medically ready, ideally before noon and ‘Home for Lunch’. This involves, alongside their families, carers, and friends, making the necessary arrangements to help them return to the comfort of home the morning of their scheduled discharge.
The ‘Home for Lunch’ initiative asks patients, families, and loved ones to use the following checklist:
- Share any concerns you might have about discharge with the team looking after you
- Arrange transport ahead of time if required
- Make sure you have the right clothes to travel
- You will likely leave the hospital from the discharge lounge. Make sure those collecting you know where this is
- Check you have access to your home, including any keys
- Try to prepare essentials back home, such as food and heating
By working together with the ward team and doing as much preparation ahead of time as possible, we can ensure you leave before noon and are ‘Home for Lunch’.
Please speak to your nurse with any questions about your discharge, including weekend options.
Why is ‘Home for Lunch’ important?
There are a number of benefits to being discharged when medically ready and of a pre-noon discharge.
For patients being discharged:
- You don’t need to wait around any longer than necessary
- It’s better for your health – particularly if you are older
- You can make use of our discharge lounges (where available) while you wait
- You get home to a more comfortable environment.
For other patients:
- The earlier we can free up a bed, the quicker we can treat new patients. Each early discharge means four more patients will benefit
- An Acute Medical Unit (AMU) patient can be moved up to the ward for specialist care
- An A&E patient can move into our AMUs for a rapid medical assessment
- An ambulance patient waiting in an ambulance can be transferred to the A&E for appropriate emergency care
- An ambulance is freed up to respond faster to another patient in the community.
Information on our discharge lounges
NHSGGC currently has discharge lounges available at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow Royal Infirmary and Royal Alexandra Hospital.
These areas provide a safe and comfortable space for patients ready to go home. Fully staffed and made easily accessible so patients can be picked up by carers or organised transport, you can contact the discharge lounges below:
- Glasgow Royal Infirmary call 0141 211 4000
- Queen Elizabeth University Hospital call 0141 201 1100
- Royal Alexandra Hospital call 0141 314 9583
What if there is no discharge lounge?
Your ward team will make suitable arrangements for pickup from the ward or one of our socialisation spaces.