Search Legislation

Advanced Search

Care Act 2014

Assessment notice given by responsible NHS body to local authority

432.Paragraph 2 sets out the process that the responsible NHS body and relevant local authority must follow to ensure a patient with care and support needs can be safely discharged from hospital.

433.There are certain legal obligations that are activated by the discharge of the patient from NHS care. When such a decision has been made and the patient has (or may have) care and support needs, then a safe discharge cannot occur until the NHS and local authority are satisfied that, as sub-paragraph (1) sets out, the patient is ready for discharge and that it is safe for them to be discharged. The NHS body has to give the local authority notice of when it intends to discharge the patient. This is known as a discharge notice.

434.Sub-paragraph (3) provides that the discharge notice must specify whether or not the patient will receive any further health care services upon discharge, and if so, what those services will be.

435.Sub-paragraph (5) sets out the definition of the ‘relevant day’ until which a discharge notice remains in force. This is relevant to defining any delayed discharge period in the event that the local authority is held to be liable under paragraph 4 to pay the NHS body for the cost of accommodation or personal care caused by the delayed discharge from hospital. The ‘relevant day’ would either be the day specified in the discharge notice or the end of a period which regulations may set out.

436.This replicates the provisions set out in section 5 of the 2003 Act and regulation 5 of the Delayed Discharges (England) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/2277).

437.Paragraph 3 sets out the responsibilities of the local authority who received an assessment notice. The local authority must carry out an assessment of the patient’s need and, where applicable, the carer’s need, with a view to identifying the care and support that is necessary for them to be safely discharged. The local authority must inform the NHS of the outcome of the assessment.

438.This replicates the provisions in section 4 of the 2003 Act.

Back to top

Options/Help

Print Options

Close

Explanatory Notes

Text created by the government department responsible for the subject matter of the Act to explain what the Act sets out to achieve and to make the Act accessible to readers who are not legally qualified. Explanatory Notes were introduced in 1999 and accompany all Public Acts except Appropriation, Consolidated Fund, Finance and Consolidation Acts.

Close

More Resources

Access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item from this tab. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:

  • the original print PDF of the as enacted version that was used for the print copy
  • lists of changes made by and/or affecting this legislation item
  • confers power and blanket amendment details
  • all formats of all associated documents
  • correction slips
  • links to related legislation and further information resources
Close

Impact Assessments

Impact Assessments generally accompany all UK Government interventions of a regulatory nature that affect the private sector, civil society organisations and public services. They apply regardless of whether the regulation originates from a domestic or international source and can accompany primary (Acts etc) and secondary legislation (SIs). An Impact Assessment allows those with an interest in the policy area to understand:

  • Why the government is proposing to intervene;
  • The main options the government is considering, and which one is preferred;
  • How and to what extent new policies may impact on them; and,
  • The estimated costs and benefits of proposed measures.