Free hospital discharge checklist for Wiltshire

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 Wiltshire edition adds local contacts, from the councils to each main hospital's patient advice service.

Download the printable checklist (PDF, 6 pages, 184 KB) Download the large-print checklist (PDF, 11 pages, 196 KB)

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.

Jump to when to get medical help

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 Wiltshire

Wiltshire has two councils. Wiltshire Council covers most of the county, including Salisbury, Chippenham and Trowbridge. Swindon Borough Council covers Swindon and Highworth. Each line says which area it is for. Some NHS and charity services cover both.

Wiltshire Council adult social care. For people in the Wiltshire Council area, outside Swindon. Call the Advice and Contact Team on 0300 456 0111, Monday to Thursday 8.30am to 5pm, Friday 8.30am to 4pm. You can also ask for help online. Out of hours, for emergencies: 0300 456 0100. adults.wiltshire.gov.uk
Swindon Borough Council adult social care. For people in the Swindon Borough Council area. Call 01793 445500 during office hours. There is a charge for social care, so ask about it when you call. swindon.gov.uk/adultsocialcare
Short-term help after a hospital stay. Wiltshire Council area: ward staff will talk to you about short-term help before you leave. This short-term help is free. If things go wrong suddenly, urgent care at home can help for up to 72 hours. Reablement workers help you do everyday things for yourself again. They visit between 6.30am and 10pm, every day. Swindon Borough Council area: ward staff can refer you to the council's intermediate care teams. Reablement in Swindon lasts up to 6 weeks. Ask on 01793 445500.
Equipment. Wiltshire Council area: ask for an assessment on 0300 456 0111. There is no charge for equipment and small changes such as rails from the council. Medequip lends the equipment. When you no longer need it, call Medequip on 01249 815052, Monday to Friday 8.45am to 5pm, for a free collection. Swindon Borough Council area: call 01793 445500. The assessment is free, and equipment is usually lent free from the council's own store.
Falls. Wiltshire Council area: falls prevention classes run across the county, for people who have had a fall or feel less steady. Call 07799 074312 to sign up. Swindon Borough Council area: Live Well Swindon runs a 16-week strength and balance course, mainly for people aged 65 or over. There is a charge. Call 01793 465513. In both areas you can make your own falls plan online. bsw.steadyonyourfeet.org
Personal alarms. Wiltshire Council area: Medequip Connect provides the council's alarms, watched 24 hours a day. You may have to pay a weekly charge. Ask the council on 0300 456 0111, or call Medequip Connect on 01249 472980. Swindon Borough Council area: the council's Homeline alarm service is not taking new users at the moment. Its web page lists other alarm services.
Help for carers. Wiltshire Council area: Carers Together Wiltshire gives advice, breaks, training and support, and can arrange a carer's assessment. Call 01380 710300. Swindon Borough Council area: Swindon Carers Together supports unpaid carers. Call 01793 531133, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. In Swindon there is no charge for a carer's assessment or for a Carer's Emergency Card.
Home Fire Safety Visit. A free visit from Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service. They check your home room by room, and can fit smoke alarms where needed. Call or ask online. Phone 0800 038 2323. dwfire.org.uk
Age UK Wiltshire. Free advice for older people in Wiltshire and Swindon, from benefits to care. Advice line Monday to Friday, 10am to 2pm. Phone 0808 196 24 24. ageuk.org.uk/wiltshire
Citizens Advice. Help with money, benefits and other problems. Wiltshire Council area: call freephone 0808 278 7995, Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm. Swindon Borough Council area: Citizens Advice Swindon gives free advice. Contact it through citizensadviceswindon.org.uk.
Healthwatch. Healthwatch Wiltshire (healthwatchwiltshire.co.uk) and Healthwatch Swindon (healthwatchswindon.org.uk) are independent. Tell them about your health or care, good or bad, to help services improve.
Hospital patient advice (PALS). Salisbury District Hospital: 01722 429044, 9am to 1pm. Great Western Hospital, Swindon: 01793 604031. Royal United Hospitals Bath, Patient Support team: 01225 825656. Chippenham, Savernake and Warminster community hospitals (BSW Community Health): 0300 247 0200, 8am to 8pm, every day.

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
Wiltshire contacts checked: 9 November 2026
Next review due: November 2027
Edition: Wiltshire edition, November 2026

Sources

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 Wiltshire.