Discharge and Departure Lounge

Our staff work together to agree your treatment and plan your discharge from the beginning of a hospital stay.

Departure Lounge

Departure Lounge, Pinewood Ward, Hillingdon Hospital
Open: Monday-Friday, 8am-8pm

Our Departure Lounge allows discharged patients to leave the ward early, to free beds for that day's admissions.

Discharge checklist

  • Any medical certificate you might need
  • Note date of any follow-up appointments
  • Return your library books and other hospital property
  • Ask whoever is picking you up to bring clothes you will need
  • Check you have necessary dietary information
  • Take personal belongings, including anything you deposited in the safe
  • Make sure you have your house key or that someone is in
  • Do not forget to collect your medication.

Your meals will be ordered and drinks supplied. Qualified nurses and healthcare assistants will ensure that all aspects of your care have been followed up. They will check necessary arrangements have been made and they will be happy to answer questions you may have about issues such as transport home, medications or contact with family and friends.

Useful numbers

Hospital contacts                                                                                          

Hillingdon Hospital switchboard: call 01895 238282

Hillingdon Discharge Hub: call 01895 279365 then choose the appropriate option below:

  • Option 1 - administration
  • Option 2 - D2A and Take Home and Settle service
  • Option 3 - duty and complex case management
  • Option 4 - Departure Lounge

GP out-of-hours service

Telephone your own GP surgery and you will be automatically transferred or given a number to call.

Rapid response

Call 01895 633546 (from 9am-12.30am the next day, seven days a week) and tell them you are under the care of the Integrated Discharge Team.

Single point of contact for community nursing

The service operates 365 days a year, from 8am-12.30am the next day.

The service is based at eight clinics across the London Borough of Hillingdon.

To cancel a visit, please telephone the 24-hour message service on 01895 234001 or leave a message for your allocated district nursing team.

Social services

Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm, 01895 558648. 

Out of hours: call the Emergency Duty Team on 01895 250111. 

Age UK

For advice and information call 020 8756 3040.

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)

PALS is a confidential service which helps patients and carers with any information, concerns, or problems that they may have about their NHS care/service. Call them on 01895 279973, between 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday. Outside these hours, an answer phone is available. Click here for more information about PALS.

London Borough of Ealing contacts

Adult social care – 0208 825 6277 or 5990

Community rehabilitation - 0300 1234 544

District nurses – 0300 1234 544

London Borough of Harrow contacts

Harrow social services - 020 8869 2594

Community rehabilitation - 0300 555 8889 

District nurses - 0300 555 8889 

Medical certificate

Please see the senior sister/nurse in charge if you require a medical certificate to cover your stay in hospital.

Medication/repeat prescriptions

When you leave hospital, you will be given a sealed envelope to pass on to your GP (within 48 hours) with details of your treatment, condition and medicines received. Contact them if you need help or advice.

Transport home

Where possible, please arrange for friends or relatives to collect you. If you have any difficulties with transport, let us know when you arrive and we'll try to help. In some areas volunteers run a transport service and may be able to help. If you are not returning to your own home, let your ward manager know of your forwarding address. Please note ambulance transport is available only when there are special medical requirements.

Follow-up care

If you need ongoing care at home, your GP, midwife, health visitor, community nurse or social services department will be there to assess your needs. If you need any medical equipment for your return home, the NHS and your social services department will assess your needs.

Integrated Care is an early discharge or prevention of admission scheme within the hospital. Care is provided by a multi-disciplinary team in the patient's own home to continue their nursing and rehabilitation.

If you feel unwell following discharge and think you need medical treatment, contact your GP or NHS Direct on 111.

Please click the link below for a useful leaflet that explains more about our Trust's discharge process.

Let's Talk About Discharge [pdf] 826KB