Discharging risky patients: England and Wales

Discharging patients from an in-patient mental health ward, who are under a form of legal detention, should definitely be a cause for celebration.

The compassion and knowledge of the in-patient team is likely to have played a significant part in the patient's improvement, and the professionals assigned to their care in the community should thus be able to proceed with confidence.

The responsibility generally falls to the in-patient team to start the discharge ball rolling and to discuss with the patient what they feel the best steps should be. Subsequently, the most suitable accommodation for the patient will be found and the in-patient and community teams will work together to ensure a smooth transition to community care.

The pathway to discharge, however, is complex by nature, not least due to the number of agencies that need to be involved. This module aims to provide general adult and forensic psychiatrists with ideas about how to conduct a high-quality, safe and effective discharge from a mental health in-patient setting.