Can you discharge yourself from the hospital at any time?
Yes. You can discharge yourself from hospital anytime. Just ask the nurses and you can leave.
Remember a hospital is not a prison and you can discharge yourself anytime. But it is best to do it with the doctors and nurses agreement. If the medical team is not keen on your discharge, you may have to organise your own transport.
Most hospital stays are 6-7 days, or less. No one likes being in hospital. If you are in two weeks or more, that is a concern. It usually means that you are not fuller better, and/or a complication or new illness has happened.
Being discharged safely is another issue, and it is a fine balance between 4 things:
- Getting the diagnosis and treatment right
- Getting better – being in long enough to make sure you have a clear diagnosis and you are getting better
- Preventing complications – not being in any longer than necessary and experience complications related to immobility (blood clots in legs and lungs) or acquiring an infection from the hospital
- Risking readmission – being discharged too soon without your problem(s) sorted and risk readmission.
Readmission
There is a significant risk (10%) of readmission (with the same problem) especially in the first week after discharge. If this happens, it usually implies that the problem was not sorted. And that second admission is often longer than the first.
This is why you should not push for home if the doctors say that readmission is likely – e.g. if you take your own discharge (which is your right) against their advice.
Summary
We have answered the question, ‘can you discharge yourself from the hospital at any time?’ Yes. You can leave whenever you like. We hope this has been helpful.
