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Home for Lunch

What is Home for Lunch?

Why is Home for Lunch important?

There are a number of benefits of a pre-noon discharge.

For patients being discharged:

  • You don’t need to wait around any longer than necessary
  • It’s better for your health – particularity if you are older
  • You can make use of our discharge lounges (where available) while you wait
  • You get home to a more comfortable environment.

For other patients:

  • The earlier we can free up a bed, the quicker we can treat new patients. Each early discharge means four more patients will benefit
  • An Acute Medical Unit (AMU) patient can be moved up to the ward for specialist care
  • An A&E patient can move into our AMUs for a rapid medical assessment
  • An ambulance patient waiting in an ambulance can be transferred to the A&E for appropriate emergency care
  • An ambulance is freed up to respond faster to another patient in the community.

What do I need to do?

Ask your nurse when your expected date of discharge is.

Get your ducks in a row

When you know your date of discharge, you should try to make sure arrangements are in place to get you home from hospital before noon on the day if possible.

  • Is someone coming to collect you? Do they know they can collect you early on?
  • Do they know you could be in the discharge lounge and how to get there?
  • Do you have appropriate clothing?
  • Do you have access to your home?
  • Have you got the basics back home?

If you have any questions about your day of discharge, either as a patient or as a carer, you should always speak to someone on the ward in the first instance.

You can access ward contact numbers across our hospitals here.

Information on our discharge lounges

NHSGGC currently has discharge lounges available at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow Royal Infirmary and Royal Alexandra Hospital.

These areas provide a safe and comfortable space for patients ready to go home. Fully staffed and made easily accessible so patients can be picked up by carers or organised transport, you can contact the discharge lounges below:

What if there is no discharge lounge?

Your ward team will make suitable arrangements for pickup from the ward or one of our socialisation spaces.