At Barnsley Hospital we make sure that you are ready to go home at the earliest opportunity, provided you are well enough, and have everything you need to recover fully.

During your stay, an assessment team works together to consider your medical, social and environmental needs. This could mean you are free to go home or you may require other routes of care outside the hospital such as:

  • Outpatient appointments
  • Intermediate care – a nurse or occupational therapist
  • Carer support
  • Equipment or alterations for home treatment
  • Care at a specialist hospital
  • Residential or nursing care

We will discuss your discharge with you to make sure you have all the support, equipment and medication you need and will give you the opportunity to ask any questions you many have.

If you are claiming sickness benefit, don’t forget to ask for a certificate of discharge to prove your entitlement(s).

Talking to your GP

When you are discharged from hospital, your GP will receive a letter from us saying you’ve been discharged.  This letter will contain:

  • Details about your admission and why you came to hospital
  • What treatment you received
  • Details about any new or changes to your existing medication

You can also request a copy of this letter for your own records.  Just ask the receptionist in the department or ward you visit, or your GP.

Hospital volunteer and Barnsley Breast Support Group organiser, Lynette Myatt speaks to a patient

Hospital volunteer and Barnsley Breast Support Group organiser, Lynette Myatt speaks to a patient

At home

If you have any further concerns about your condition or treatment once you have been discharged, always contact your GP in the first instance and make an appointment.  If your ring when the surgery is closed there will be details of who to contact instead. You can also ring NHS 111.

If the nurses and doctors involved with your care felt you could benefit from additional help and support such as a nurse or occupational therapist coming to visit you, carer support, care at a specialist hospital or residential/nursing home, this will also have been discussed with you and your family or carer before you were discharged.

However if upon getting home, you feel you could benefit from some extra support, we have provided a list of useful contacts for you to get in touch with who can help.  Please click here to find out more.