The team looking after you will discuss with you the expected date when you will discharged. This will be when your hospital treatment is finished. It is important everyone is aware of this date so we can all work towards it.
It’s important that hospitals can look after those who need hospital care. We must make sure there are enough beds available for people who need to be in hospital. If you stay in hospital longer than you need to, this puts pressure on the hospital. It also means patients who do need to be in hospital have to wait longer for a bed.
No-one wants to stay in hospital longer than they need to and it's important to get you back to the comfort of your own home, as soon as it is safe to do so. If you can’t go straight home, we will move you to a free, temporary bed in the community. This will happen if you are waiting for a care package.
Once your hospital treatment is finished, we want to get you home. If you can’t go home straight away or need extra support, we will move you to a community bed. You will stay here while we organise your care. This doesn’t cost you anything.
There are a number of free, temporary community beds in South Tyneside and Sunderland. We will find and transfer you to the first bed that is available in your local area. This might not be closest to where you live, but we will always try to keep you as close to home as we possibly can.
The type of community bed you move to will depend on the level of care you need. You will be moved to a community bed if you need:
When you move to a community bed it is because you no longer need to be in hospital. It will help with your recovery. It will also help the hospital to run safely.