Table 2.

Summary of UK Department Of Health Guidance (Emes et al., 2017).

Theme	Description
Proactivity	Planning for discharge should start on or before admission, and practitioners should identify early those patients with complex needs. A clinical management plan should be developed for each patient within 24 h of admission, with an expected date of discharge within 24–48 h of admission.
Effective communication	Discharge should be coordinated through effective leadership and handover of responsibilities, with the clinical management plan reviewed with the patient and carers each day.
Keeping the process moving	Decisions to discharge should be made each day, with discharges planned to take place over seven days and a checklist used 24–48 h before discharge to make sure everything’s in place. Although simple checklists may be useful, it is also recognised by some studies that much of the paperwork for discharge planning is overly complex. This not only delays discharge but also reduces the sense of professionalism of staff (Connelly et al., 2009).