With the introduction of the Community Care (Delayed Discharges etc.) Act 2003, delayed discharges from hospital have become a key area of government concern within UK health and social services. Under the Act, social services departments will be fined for any patient who remains in hospital when they are medically fit to leave but are unable to do so due to a delay in arranging a social care package. Against this background, this article reviews the extensive literature on hospital discharge in the UK, identifying key themes within the research evidence and citing examples from relevant studies to illustrate the key issues at stake. This analysis is then used to inform a new framework for understanding and responding to the problems associated with delayed hospital discharge and of partnership working between health and social care more generally.

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