Recurring concern
Failure to ensure safe discharge planning for inpatient mental health admissions
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Request correctionFirst reported 31 Oct 2014•Latest report 27 May 2026
What this concern includes
Includes deficiencies in the end-to-end discharge planning process for inpatient mental health admissions, including failures of social care involvement, practitioner preparedness, coordination and management of issues arising during discharge or out-of-area admissions.
Not included
- Excludes generic mental health bed-capacity shortages or delays in obtaining admission.
- Excludes general communication or information-sharing failures not specifically tied to inpatient mental health discharge planning.
- Excludes failures in Mental Health Act assessment, admission notification or ongoing inpatient care unless they directly concern discharge planning.
- Excludes isolated clinical treatment failures that do not concern the discharge process.
- Reports
- 17
- Individual concerns
- 19
- Date range
- 2014–2026
- Stated actions
- 43
Distinct published reports
A report can raise multiple concerns
First to latest report issue date
Described in published responses
Reports over time
Reports over time
Reports about this concern issued each year.
* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.
Most frequent recipients
Most frequent recipients
Reports about this concern sent to each recipient.
Concerns and responses across reports
Only concerns grouped under this recurring concern are included. Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.
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Concerns raised1
Failure to ensure proper discharge planning and referral for patients with mental illness
This report raised 5 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.6
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Action
Maintain discharge-planning policies and ward processes, including admission discharge planning, daily discharge-tool use, and pre-discharge communication with care coordinators and families.
Stated by Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust -
Action
Have Crisis and Home Treatment Teams attend each ward’s daily handover to contribute to discharge planning.
Stated by Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust -
Action
Deliver face-to-face contact with an identified worker within 72 hours for people leaving hospital.
Stated by Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
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Action
Give every discharged patient a crisis contact and help information, together with details of their follow-up appointment.
Stated by Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust -
Action
Ensure community teams discuss all inpatients daily so they know patients’ progress and can contribute to admission goals.
Stated by Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust -
Action
Have community team leads attend daily bed-management huddles to support communication about forthcoming discharges.
Stated by Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
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Concerns raised1
Lack of clarity in discharge plans and placement expectations
This report raised 7 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
No linked response statementsNo respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
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Concerns raised1
Lack of a clear system for joined-up discharge planning between primary and secondary mental health services
This report raised 3 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.3
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Action
Publish best-practice information on coordinated mental-health discharge planning and transition support.
Stated by NHS England -
Action
Develop a framework for Community Mental Health Services setting out improved joint working between primary and secondary mental-health services.
Stated by NHS England -
Action
Revise the Mental Health Act Code of Practice to set guiding principles for improving patient care, including involving carers and families in care decisions.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care
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Concerns raised2
Failure of the HTT to obtain a written discharge plan from the hospital
Failure to identify a responsible HTT for the discharge address
This report raised 5 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.4
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Action
Review the transfer-of-care protocol to address obtaining missing information from referring or receiving services.
Stated by Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust -
Action
Disseminate the reviewed transfer-of-care protocol through the clinical effectiveness governance process.
Stated by Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust -
Action
Review and relaunch the discharge policy, strengthening family involvement, care-plan circulation, service identification and written acceptance of follow-up responsibility.
Stated by Recipient name withheld
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Action
Deliver a rolling webinar training programme highlighting discharge-planning policy, family communication, care-plan circulation and follow-up service responsibilities.
Stated by Recipient name withheld
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
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Position
The fourth and fifth concerns relate to Oxleas Mental Health NHS Trust rather than Priory Group.
Stated by Recipient name withheld
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Concerns raised1
Failure to arrange follow-up appointments before discharge
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
No linked response statementsNo respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
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Concerns raised1
Failure to hold a final discharge meeting for discharge to a rehabilitation unit
This report raised 4 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
No linked response statementsNo respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
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Concerns raised1
Failure to comprehensively plan discharge arrangements
This report raised 6 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.4
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Action
Debrief involved staff and remind Trust and local-authority staff about discharge planning, documentation and physical-health guidance.
Stated by South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust -
Action
Implement updated action plans producing more robust systems and structures between Southwark inpatient and community teams.
Stated by South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust -
Action
Complete discharge notification proformas routinely and send them to community teams or team managers on the discharge day, with ongoing audit.
Stated by South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
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Action
Audit seven-day follow-up and discharges involving patients with unstable diabetes to assess follow-up, communication and forward planning.
Stated by South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
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Position
There are no systemic problems with discharge and community follow-up for patients with complex mental and physical health needs.
Stated by South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
Data last updated 7 September 2026