Can you move between hospitals?

[LLR6]

My step father has been taken into hospital in north England and is a long way away from any of his family. Does anyone know if it is possible to get him moved to a different hospital and how we would go about organising this? I don’t even know where to start. TIA

Speak to the doctor and see if they can speak to your local hospital, they will need to find a doctor who will accept his care and have an empty bed. Does he want to move, is it safe for him to be transferred.

Is he on holiday and ended up in hospital or is he at the hospital local to him? I'm not sure if with the current bed crisis if a Trust that has no responsibility would take a patient in these circumstances, but you can ask!

Hospital moves tend to fall into one of the following categories:

1. Seriously ill, needing medical input not available at local hospital. Moved whilst very unwell, often by dedicated team, as only option for the patient.

2)Became seriously unwell whilst some distance from home. Have largely recovered, and are fit for easy transfer, but would still need to be an inpatient for a significant length of time.

3)Become unwell in such a manner as would be completely impossible to discharge them back home after a reasonable period of recovery, but if transferred would be taken home by family local to that hospital. This would need to be in keeping with the patient's wishes, and be certain to result in discharge in new area. Still hard to achieve.

Not clear if your stepdad fits any of these categories? Hope he's doing well.

If he’s stable then nursing sister can contact your local hospital to see if they have any beds

Speak to the hospital social work team and explain. If he’s likely to be in a while, they might transfer but most people aren’t in very long these days.