Going home from hospital
Your return home is an important part of your continuing health and recovery.
Within 24 hours of coming to hospital you should have a planned date for your return home. This is set by your treating team and is known as your predicted date of discharge.
Setting this date helps us plan your care and supports you, your family and carers to prepare for you going home (discharge) and any after-care that may be required. If you don’t know your predicted date of discharge, just ask a member of your treating team.
To ensure your hospital stay is no longer than necessary, you should begin to consider the following questions well before your predicted date of discharge:
- Have you arranged for a family member or friend to take you home from the hospital?
- Will you need a medical certificate for your employer?
- Do you think you will you need additional support or rehabilitation services after you return home? If so, please talk to your treating team early so this can be arranged as soon as possible.
- If you live in a rural area, do you need Patient Assisted Travel Scheme (PATS) assistance to organise your transport home?
Please check you have collected all personal items including medications and specialist equipment you brought into hospital with you.
At this time, you may be given information about:
- your care after you leave hospital
- if you need follow-up appointments
- a discharge summary for your general practitioner (GP).
If you are not given this information you before you leave the ward it will be provided while you wait in the Transit Lounge (see below).
Your GP will care for you after you return home from hospital. Your treating team will advise how soon you should see your GP after going home. It is recommended you make an appointment immediately if you have any concerns, and well before you run out of prescribed medications.
Please ensure we have accurate contact details for your GP so we can send your discharge summary. If you are given a copy of your discharge summary, it is important you take it to your next GP appointment.
The discharge time at both Fiona Stanley and Fremantle Hospitals is 10.00am. If you are a day surgery patient, you will be discharged once you are medically fit to leave.
You can assist your return home by organising ahead of time for a family member or friend to collect you.
Fiona Stanley Hospital Transit Lounge
The Transit Lounge at Fiona Stanley Hospital is accessed via Bedbrook Row – see the Fiona Stanley Hospital map (PDF 1MB).
Short term patient pick-up parking is available in front of the transit lounge and you will need to be collected before 6:00pm.
In preparation for your discharge, you may be transferred to the hospital’s Transit Lounge after 8.00am, Monday to Friday.
If you were not given your discharge medications and discharge summary before leaving the ward these will be given to you in the Transit Lounge. A nurse will also be available to assist if you have any questions.
Fremantle Hospital
At Fremantle Hospital, you will remain in the ward until you are discharged.
You must be supervised by a responsible adult if you are discharged in the first 24 hours after surgery, including day surgery.
During this time, you should not:
- drink alcohol, take mind-altering substances, or smoke
- drive a car, bike or other vehicle
- undertake heavy exercise
- operate machinery, including cooking implements
- care for infants without responsible help
- make important decisions or sign a legal document.
We aim to provide you with the best possible care during your hospital stay.
Sharing feedback about your experience helps us improve our services and acknowledge departments and staff who are exceeding expectations.
Read how to share your feedback.
Surveys
After your discharge, you may be asked to participate in different types of consumer feedback surveys.
Recent overnight or day procedure patients may receive a SMS inviting them to participate in the statewide MySay Healthcare Survey (external site). This confidential survey measures the care and treatment experienced by public hospital patients.
Our hospitals also undertake patient satisfaction and consumer feedback surveys.
You can request not to participate in these surveys, however they provide a valuable insight into how we provide care and guide decision making for future service provision.
Contact us
Please contact the following if you need more information:
- Fiona Stanley Hospital patients – please phone the Helpdesk on 6152 2222
- Fremantle Hospital patients – please phone the Switchboard on 9431 3333.
More information
Find out more about being a patient or return to For patients and visitors.