Mental Health Delayed Discharge Period

A Mental Health Delayed Discharge Period  is an ACTIVITY GROUP.

A Mental Health Delayed Discharge Period is the period of time during a Consultant Episode (Hospital Provider)  under a MAIN SPECIALTY CODE (MENTAL HEALTH)  that the PATIENT  is fit and ready for discharge, but discharge is delayed due to external factors outside the control of the Hospital Provider.  These reasons are detailed in MENTAL HEALTH DELAYED DISCHARGE REASON.

A PATIENT  is ready for discharge when:

• A clinical decision has been made that the PATIENT is ready for discharge

• A Multidisciplinary Team decision has been made that the PATIENT  is ready for discharge

• The PATIENT  is safe to discharge.

The Mental Health Delayed Discharge Period:

• Starts on the START DATE (MENTAL HEALTH DELAYED DISCHARGE PERIOD) and

• Ends on the END DATE (MENTAL HEALTH DELAYED DISCHARGE PERIOD).

The END DATE (MENTAL HEALTH DELAYED DISCHARGE PERIOD) may be the same as the DISCHARGE DATE (HOSPITAL PROVIDER SPELL), if the external factors are resolved while the PATIENT  is still ready for discharge. 

However if the PATIENT's condition deteriorates while awaiting discharge, the decision may be taken to end the  Mental Health Delayed Discharge Period, and the Care Professional Admitted Care Episode  and Hospital Provider Spell  continue.

Multiple Mental Health Delayed Discharge Periods  may occur during a single Care Professional Admitted Care Episode, and within a single Hospital Provider Spell  (though they may occur in different Care Professional Admitted Care Episodes  within that Hospital Provider Spell).