Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve discharge rates from mental health hospitals.

The Discharge from Mental Health Inpatient Settings statutory guidance, published in January 2024, provides clarity in relation to how health and care systems can work together to support safe and timely discharge from all mental health inpatient settings and ensure the right support in the community. It includes best practice on how patients and their carers should be involved in discharge planning. The Discharge from Mental Health Inpatient Settings statutory guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/discharge-from-mental-health-inpatient-settings/discharge-from-mental-health-inpatient-settings

Under the 2025/26 Planning Guidance, there has been a refocusing of mental health priorities into key areas, which includes improved patient flow through mental health crisis and acute pathways, thereby reducing the average length of stay in adult acute mental health beds. Systems have been asked to prioritise work on the 10 High Impact Actions to improve discharge. This includes a follow up to be carried out with the person by the Community Mental Health Team or Crisis Resolution Home Treatment Team at the earliest opportunity and within a maximum of 72 hours of discharge, to ensure the right discharge support is in place.