Home Leave

Home Leave is a type of LEAVE.

Home Leave occurs when a PATIENT who is not liable to be detained under Part II of the Mental Health Act 1983 and who is using a Hospital Bed in a WARD or a bed in a Care Home spends a period of time outside the hospital/ Care Home, usually at home, with the intention of returning to the same type of WARD or Care Home to continue the same Care Professional Admitted Care Episode.

A PATIENT liable to be detained in hospital under Part II of the Mental Health Act 1983 and as amended by the Mental Health (Patients in the Community) Act 1985, should be granted Mental Health Leave of Absence instead of Home Leave.

For a PATIENT under a Nursing Episode  or  Midwife Episode  the period of time is at the discretion of the responsible CARE PROFESSIONAL.

The period of time for all other PATIENTS should be a maximum of Saturday, Sunday, NHS, bank and public holidays plus another three days. If a PATIENT does not return on the day specified and has failed to make alternative arrangements with hospital/ Care Home staff, such a PATIENT should be considered discharged from that day.

The date on which a PATIENT leaves the WARD to go on Home Leave closes the preceding Ward Stay.

For Mental Health Services Data Set (MHSDS), the Ward Stay remains uninterrupted when a PATIENT leaves the WARD to take  Home Leave.