5 reasons to keep your hospital discharge summary
A discharge summary is the handover document that explains why you were admitted to hospital. Read it and keep a copy for your records! Why?
- There may be further action you are required to do, to complete your care. You should be given a discharge summary before you leave hospital, or advised that it will be posted to you. If not, ask for a copy
- You should add it to your medical record, and make sure that any actions requested in the future happen, e.g. a follow up blood test or X-ray, appointment with the consultant, review by GP, or wound checking by a district nurse
- Do not assume that your GP will have read the summary and taken action. Why? They can receive 100 or more discharge summaries and letters from the hospital every day. It is easy to miss one
- You can help your care generally by keeping good records.
- It should give you the name and contact details of your consultant when you were in hospital. You may need that. Why? A follow-up appointment that you were told you would get, does not arrive. You will need to chase his/her secretary to sort one ou
