As of April 1st, 2010, you have the urgent two-week referral right. The two-weeks rule means you your doctor urgently refers you to a specialist. You will be offered an appointment with a hospital specialist within two weeks of your…

The National Health Service (NHS) fast track funding process allows you to obtain funding to cover the full cost of your loved one’s care in place within 48 hours. NHS Continuing Healthcare Fast Track funding is for patients with a…

A fast track discharge plan is for patients with a rapidly deteriorating illness who may be entering a terminal phase. The aim of fast track discharge from the hospital is to transfer the patient to a preferred place of care,…

No, they cannot. Emergency personnel can encourage you to go to the hospital, ask questions, listen, and reflect. However, it is your right to decide whether and how you will get to the hospital.

If you believe that you are being discharged from a hospital too early, you can appeal to hospital discharge. You can contact the Beneficiary and Family-Centered Care Quality Improvement Organization (BFCC-QIO) for an immediate review of your case. You may…

Yes, you can, but this is rarely the case. Most hospitals discharge patients during the weekdays. Research finds that people discharged from the hospital on the weekend are nearly 40 percent more likely to be back on Accident and Emergency…

Extended hospital stays are less and less common today. Factors such as innovations in health care that speed recovery, pressure from insurance companies to keep costs down, and availability of online procedures and tests have considerably shortened hospitals’ stays. Most…

People check-in ER and leave before a physician can see them for many reasons. Some people leave after the nurse’s triage, convinced that they are already feeling better or that their condition is not that serious. When a nurse tells…

Yes. You can walk out of the ER without being discharged. For example, you may come to the ER and find every bed filled, the staff running around, and face hours of waiting in the emergency waiting room. If you…

You cannot be kept in the hospital against your will. The hospital can be liable for “false imprisonment” if hospital staff and officials attempt to prevent you from leaving before hospital discharge. However, it would be best to discuss your…