Leaving hospital

Discharge Planning

Discharge planning starts early in your admission process to ensure the return to your home environment is well organised.

Your Estimated Day of Discharge (EDD) will be provided to you and your family on your admission, to enable plans for transport home to be organised around this date.  Any changes to your EDD will be discussed with you at the bedside handover and displayed on the Patient Board on the wall beside your bed.

Usually you will be discharged and able to leave the hospital by 10am, so plan to have your transport home organised for a 10am discharge.

Please remember to collect your belongings, including any private x-rays and medications that you brought into hospital.

Home care can be organised for patients who have been clinically assessed to need help after discharge. Please discuss any concerns you may have with the staff looking after you.

If you’re unsure of your current discharge medications or any other details regarding your discharge, please ask the nursing/medical or pharmacy staff prior to leaving.  Also, please be aware of any follow-up appointments you need to make, or that have been made for you.

Discharge at own risk

Except in certain circumstances (e.g. serious Infectious disease or those who are detained under the Mental Health Act) every patient has the right to leave hospital when he/she chooses. However, this may be a serious step when taken against the advice of your doctor and requires great caution.

Should you decide to leave against the advice of your doctor, you will be asked to sign a form disclaiming the hospital's responsibility for your action.

If your condition does not improve or causes you concern, please do not hesitate to seek further medical advice or return to the hospital's emergency department.

Transfer to other facilities

At times, it may be necessary to transfer you to another health facility, including our rural facilities, even if you do not reside in these communities. At times, our hospitals require access to beds for acutely unwell patients and you may need to be transferred for this to occur.

Other reasons that may make your transfer necessary are:

• If you are a patient awaiting residential aged care.
• If you are well enough but are unable to go home and live independently or with family.
• If you do not require acute care and are well enough to transfer as part of your treatment plan and discharge process.

When a patient no longer requires acute care at the Bundaberg Hospital and cannot return to their home or to family:

• An Aged Care Assessment Service (ACAS) assessment will be requested.
• The patient’s family or carers will be required to list the patients’ details with all residential aged care facilities within the Bundaberg area.
• The patient, family or carer will accept the first available placement while remaining on the list at the preferred facility for transfer later.