Comment
Delayed discharge: we need to fix the wait for take-home drugs
All too often, a delay to patient discharge can be traced to the pharmacy. With acute beds at a premium, isn’t it time we made the process smoother?

All too often, a delay to patient discharge can be traced to the pharmacy. With acute beds at a premium, isn’t it time we made the process smoother?
‘Is that Ms Bates? This is ward 7. Just to say that your relative is ready for collection.’
I envisioned my aunt sitting in her dressing gown on a conveyor belt, clutching her discharge letter and her bottle of Lucozade and me exchanging her for a numbered ticket.
Consigned to another night on the ward
Want to read more?
Unlock full access to RCNi Plus today
Save over 50% on your first three months:
- Customisable clinical dashboard featuring 200+ topics
- Unlimited online access to all 10 RCNi Journals including Nursing Standard
- RCNi Learning featuring 180+ RCN accredited learning modules
- NMC-compliant RCNi Portfolio to build evidence for revalidation
- Personalised newsletters tailored to your interests
Already registered or subscribed? Log in

This article is not available as part of an institutional subscription. Why is this?
