Free hospital discharge checklist for Bristol, Bath and North Somerset
Keep the practical details of coming home from hospital in one place. This free printable, Getting moving again after a hospital stay, covers what to sort before you leave, useful contacts, home safety, when to get medical help, and a 14-day diary.
It is for adults and the people supporting them. Use it alongside your own discharge instructions, not instead of them. This Bristol, Bath and North Somerset edition adds local contacts, from the councils to each main hospital's patient advice service.
Free to print, copy and share with patients, families and carers. No registration is needed. Organisations are welcome to link to this page so readers always find the latest version. A link is appreciated, but it is not a condition of using the checklist.
Your own care plan comes first. Follow the advice your hospital or care team gave you, including anything you must not do, and any advice about walking, exercise, eating or drinking. Use any equipment and help you were advised to use.
This is a checklist and a diary. It is not an exercise programme, and it is not a deadline for getting better.
Before you leave hospital
Tick each one when it is sorted. Ask the ward team about anything you are unsure of.
- My journey home is arranged, and I can get into my home.
- Anyone helping me knows when I am coming home. Any care visits are confirmed.
- I have my discharge letter or care plan, and I understand the next steps.
- I know which of my medicines have changed, and how and when to take each one.
- I have the medicines I need, and I know how to get more before they run out.
- Any equipment I need is ready, and I have practised using it.
- I know what help I need with my bed, chair, toilet and any stairs.
- Any exercises, and anything I must not do, have been explained and written down.
- Food and drinks are sorted for when I get home.
- If I have been in hospital for a while, someone will put the heating on before I get home, so the house is warm when I arrive.
- If I have a personal alarm or falls sensor, it is charged and working.
- I know about any follow-up appointments, and who to call if there is a problem.
- I have talked about my worries, and asked whether short-term help at home would be useful.
My useful contacts
The printable version has space to write these in.
- Hospital ward or discharge team, and phone: ____________________
- GP surgery and phone: ____________________
- Community or home care team and phone, if arranged: ____________________
- Equipment contact and phone: ____________________
- Follow-up appointment: date, time and place: ____________________
At home: little and often
Follow the advice from your own healthcare team first. Some of the points below may not be right for you, or may need changing. This is a general guide. If you are not sure something is safe for you, check with your healthcare team before you try it.
- Take it easy on your first day home. Getting home from hospital can be very tiring.
- Get dressed and sit out of bed for meals when you can, with help if you need it.
- Try not to sit or lie still for long spells. Move about in the way your care team advised, and walk only when it is safe, with your walking aid and any help you need.
- Do the exercises you were given, the way you were shown.
- Spread things out through the day and rest in between. Build up gradually. You do not have to do more every day.
- Have regular meals and drinks, following any advice you were given about diet, swallowing or how much to drink.
- If something new starts, or something gets worse, do not push through it. Ask for advice, and use the “When to get medical help” page.
The printable version also has space to write down anything you must not do, the help you need, and something you would like to work towards with your care team.
Making home safer
- Keep the places you walk clear of clutter, cables and loose rugs.
- Light the way to the toilet at night.
- Wear shoes or slippers that stay on securely and grip the floor.
- Put your personal alarm or falls sensor back on when you get home, and keep it charged. Keep your phone within reach.
- Use your walking aid as you were shown, and take your time getting up.
- Use a non-slip mat in the bath or shower, and any equipment recommended for you.
- Get help with lifting, reaching and heavy jobs.
Ask your GP or pharmacist whether any of your medicines could affect your balance. Do not change or stop a medicine without advice.
Where to get help in England and Wales
- Short-term help at home. Ask the ward before you leave, or your GP surgery or council once you are home. You may be assessed for short-term care, often called reablement or intermediate care. When it is offered it is free, and it usually lasts no more than 6 weeks, depending on your needs.
- Equipment and changes to your home. Your council’s adult social care team can tell you how to ask for an assessment.
- Worried about how you left hospital. Speak to the hospital team, or its patient advice service (PALS in England, the concerns team in Wales). For an urgent medical problem, use the “When to get medical help” page instead.
Local help in Bristol, Bath and North Somerset
These services are for people who live in Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, or North Somerset. Each area has its own council: Bristol City Council, Bath and North East Somerset Council, and North Somerset Council. Each line says which area it is for. Some NHS and charity services cover a wider area.
- Bristol City Council adult social care. For people in Bristol. Call Care Direct on 0117 922 2700 for advice about care at home, or fill in the adult care referral form online. Family or a doctor can ask for you. bristol.gov.uk
- North Somerset Council adult social care. For people in North Somerset. Call Care Connect on 01275 888 801, or email careconnect@n-somerset.gov.uk. An adviser will talk with you about what help you need. n-somerset.gov.uk
- Bath and North East Somerset Council adult social care. For people in Bath and North East Somerset. Call 01225 394570, Monday to Thursday 8.30am to 5pm, Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm. The Live Well B&NES website lists local help and groups. bathnes.gov.uk
- Out of hours emergencies. At night, at weekends and on bank holidays, call the Emergency Duty Team on 01454 615 165. It covers Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, and North Somerset. Use it only if the problem cannot wait until the next working day.
- Short-term help after a hospital stay. If you need help when you leave hospital, ask the ward staff before you go. All three councils offer short-term help at home, called reablement, to help you do things for yourself again. In Bristol and North Somerset it is free for up to 42 days. In Bath and North East Somerset it lasts up to 6 weeks.
- Equipment. Equipment is lent after an assessment, often by an occupational therapist. Bristol: ask Care Direct on 0117 922 2700. North Somerset: equipment is lent free. Bristol and North Somerset: to return or repair equipment, call Medequip on 0330 053 3655. Bath and North East Somerset: equipment is free, and is collected free. Call 01225 396717 to return it.
- Personal alarms. Bristol: Bristol Careline gives you a button to press for help, 24 hours a day. There is a charge. Call 0117 922 3269. North Somerset: the council's alarm service is Medequip Connect. There is a charge. Ask Care Connect on 01275 888 801.
- Falls: strength and balance classes. Bristol: the council's strength and balance classes help you walk steadily and lower your risk of falling. You will have a short assessment first. North Somerset: Age UK Somerset runs Strong and Steady classes. Call its Falls Prevention team on 01823 345614.
- Help for carers. Bristol: ask Care Direct for a carer's assessment on 0117 922 2700. North Somerset: ask Care Connect for a carer's assessment on 01275 888 801. Bath and North East Somerset: call The Carers' Centre Freephone Support Line on 0800 0388 885, Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm.
- Home Fire Safety Visit. A free visit from Avon Fire and Rescue Service. Visits go to people most at risk, for example people aged 65 or over. If you need smoke alarms, they fit them free during the visit. Ask online. avonfire.gov.uk
- Age UK Bristol. Free information and advice for people over 55 who live or work in Bristol, and for family who help them. This includes benefits, forms, housing and care. Helpline open Wednesday to Friday, 10am to 1pm. Phone 0117 929 7537. ageuk.org.uk/bristol
- Healthwatch. Help finding health and care services, and a place to tell someone about your care. Bristol: healthwatchbristol.co.uk. North Somerset: healthwatchnorthsomerset.co.uk.
- Hospital patient advice (PALS). Bristol Royal Infirmary and the other city hospitals: 0117 342 1050. Southmead Hospital: 0117 414 4569. Weston General Hospital: 01934 647 216. Royal United Hospital, Bath: 01225 825656.
Local contacts checked 9 November 2026. Services can change, so check before you rely on one.
When to get medical help
This is not a full list. Follow any extra advice in your discharge paperwork.
Call 999 now if you have
- Sudden chest pain or discomfort that does not go away, pain that spreads to your arm, neck, jaw or back, or chest pain with sweating, feeling sick, light-headed or short of breath.
- Severe difficulty breathing: gasping, choking or not able to get your words out.
- Pain and swelling in a leg together with chest pain or breathlessness. This can be a blood clot.
- Your face droops on one side, you cannot lift both arms, or your speech is slurred or muddled. These can be signs of a stroke. Call even if they stop.
- You have fallen and cannot get up, or you may have hurt your head, neck, back or hip.
- Bleeding that you cannot stop, for example from a wound or where you had stitches.
Do not drive yourself to A&E.
Call NHS 111, or get an urgent GP appointment, if you have
- New pain and swelling in one leg, sometimes with red or darker skin. This can be a blood clot.
- Breathlessness that comes on suddenly, or being more short of breath than usual.
- Coughing up blood.
- A wound or stitches that open up, or a wound that is bleeding, red, swollen, more painful or has pus coming out of it.
- You have fallen and are in pain, hurt or feeling unwell, but none of the 999 signs apply.
If any 999 sign applies, call 999 first.
Contact your GP or care team if
- You are worried about your walking or balance.
- You have had a fall, even if you were not hurt.
- Everyday things are getting harder to manage. Ask early. Do not wait for the diary to finish.
If you fall and cannot get up
- Call 999, or use your personal alarm. If you cannot reach either, shout or bang on the wall or floor.
- Keep warm. Cover yourself with anything within reach.
- Do not force yourself to get up. Follow the call handler’s advice about moving while you wait.
- Anyone with you should not try to lift you.
My 14-day record
Start on your first day at home. Tick the things that were right for you and that you managed, with help if needed. Write “n/a” where something does not apply. This is a record, not a test.
The days do not have to look the same. If something new starts or you are clearly getting worse, use the “When to get medical help” page rather than waiting for the diary to finish.
Keep this record and take it to any follow-up appointments.
The printable version has all 14 days with room to write. The first three look like this:
| Day | Date | Got dressed | Sat out for meals | Movement as advised | Exercises as advised | How I felt, or things to ask about |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||||
| 2 | ||||||
| 3 |
About this checklist
Prepared by Mobile Physiotherapist UK from NHS guidance. It is general information, not a personal treatment plan, and it is not issued or approved by the NHS.
- General guidance checked by: Claire Williamson, Chartered Physiotherapist (HCPC PH104255), 27 October 2026
- Sources checked: 20 October 2026
- Bristol, Bath and North Somerset contacts checked: 9 November 2026
- Next review due: November 2027
- Edition: Bristol, Bath and North Somerset edition, November 2026
Sources
- NHS: Falls
- NHS: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
- NHS: Chest pain
- NHS: Shortness of breath
- NHS: Pulmonary embolism
- NHS: Symptoms of a stroke
- NHS: Being discharged from hospital
- NHS: Planning to leave hospital
- NHS: Care to support recovery after leaving hospital
- NHS: Home adaptations
- NHS: Physical activity guidelines for older adults
- UCLH: Home exercises to improve strength and balance following hospital admission (for pacing and rest)
- North Bristol NHS Trust: Managing your fluid intake (why fluid advice must follow your own team)
- NHS: Cuts and grazes (bleeding that will not stop, signs a wound needs checking)
- Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust: Stitches (a wound that opens, signs of infection)
- NHS: Keep warm, keep well (heating your home)
- NHS 111 Wales
- bristol.gov.uk: adults and older people
- bristol.gov.uk: care and support for adults in bristol
- bristol.gov.uk: emergency duty team
- bristol.gov.uk: support to live independently
- bristol.gov.uk: short term help at home reablement
- bristol.gov.uk: help returning home after hospital
- bristol.gov.uk: home adaptations and equipment
- bristol.gov.uk: guide to bristol careline
- bristol.gov.uk: strength balance classes
- bristol.gov.uk: carers
- bristol.gov.uk: carers assessment
- n-somerset.gov.uk: contact us help support
- n-somerset.gov.uk: support after leaving hospital or if you are recovery
- n-somerset.gov.uk: equipment adaptations
- n-somerset.gov.uk: equipment purchase or loans
- n-somerset.gov.uk: technology enabled care tec service
- n-somerset.gov.uk: how request carers assessment
- n-somerset.gov.uk: getting started carer
- betterhealthns.co.uk: falls
- ageuk.org.uk: falls prevention
- bathnes.gov.uk: adult social care and health
- bathnes.gov.uk: get social care and health support
- bathnes.gov.uk: discharge hospital
- bathnes.gov.uk: what happens when your reablement service ends
- bathnes.gov.uk: community equipment service
- bathnes.gov.uk: looking after someone
- banescarerscentre.org.uk
- avonfire.gov.uk
- avonfire.gov.uk: request a visit
- ageuk.org.uk: bristol
- ageuk.org.uk: information and advice
- ageuk.org.uk: falls prevention
- healthwatchbristol.co.uk
- healthwatchnorthsomerset.co.uk
- bristolft.nhs.uk: feedback and complaints
- nbt.nhs.uk: feedback
- uhbristol.nhs.uk: tell us about your experience
- ruh.nhs.uk: index
Spotted something that needs updating? Email office@mobilephysiotherapist.co.uk.
Would help at home make a difference?
Some people like a physiotherapist to visit them at home after a hospital stay. You can find a home-visit physiotherapist in Bristol, Bath and North Somerset.