Going home

On your discharge from hospital, you will be referred back to your GP (family doctor) for ongoing care if you need it. Your GP is a member of a large primary health care team. If you need the support and advice of one or more of the team members, you will be referred to them.

If you need nursing care at home, your nurse will notify your district nurse. You will be given a letter to hand to the district nurse when she/he visits. Someone from the district nursing team will contact you within 24 hours of your discharge, unless some other arrangement has been made.

Any information for the health visitor will be collected from the ward by the nursing liaison team and forwarded to them. You may, however, be asked to make an appointment with the practice nurse at your GP surgery.

Should you wish or need to contact the district nurse or health visitor, simply telephone your doctor's surgery - all community nurses work very closely with GPs.

Before you leave hospital you will be told about the treatment, support and advice you will receive from members of the primary health care team. This will follow your personal care plan, with which you will have been involved during your stay. If, for example, you are in need of continuing physiotherapy, appointments for treatment at the hospital will have to be made, or a referral sent to the community service.