What is a discharge lounge?
Patients who are medically fit for discharge and no longer need hospital care are transferred to the Discharge Lounge. It is from there, that patients are discharged from hospital and go home.
This frees up the ward bed and ensures effective patient admission flow from the A&E Department onto the wards.
Patients transferred down to the Discharge Lounge from the wards will be waiting for:
- Their medication to take home (TTA’s)
- And/or ambulance, or other transport home
The waiting times will vary depending on what the patient is waiting for.
The Discharge Lounge should be a calm, relaxing environment away from the busy wards. It will have a combination of armchairs and recliners for patients to relax in with a total of twenty chairs.
There are also beds or stretchers available if a patient is not able to sit or would be more comfortable lying down.
A selection of hot and cold food along with hot and cold drinks are usually available.
Last Reviewed on 4 July 2024