Inclusion criteria
Adapt locally in Project setup where required.
- Adults aged 16 years or older unless locally adapted.
- Inpatients identified as potential weekend or bank-holiday discharges.
- Inpatients expected to become discharge ready before or during a weekend or bank holiday.
- Inpatients with an expected discharge date falling on a Saturday, Sunday or bank holiday.
- Inpatients where discharge over the weekend was possible but delayed.
- Patients reviewed on Friday or at pre-weekend review for weekend discharge suitability.
- Patients on criteria-led discharge pathways where weekend discharge may occur.
- Patients managed in selected wards, units, departments or pathways.
- Electronic, paper or hybrid records depending on local setup.
Exclusion criteria
Record excluded episodes so the sample remains auditable.
- Patients under 16 years old unless locally adapted.
- Maternity-specific pathways unless locally adapted.
- Paediatric pathways unless locally adapted.
- Patients who clearly still meet criteria to reside and are not expected to become discharge ready over the weekend.
- Patients requiring emergency transfer to another acute provider for ongoing acute care.
- Patients who self-discharge, die in hospital or leave against medical advice where weekend discharge planning is not applicable.
- Day-case or outpatient episodes unless local scope includes them.
- Duplicate records or duplicate weekend discharge episodes.
- Records outside the selected audit period.
- Records unavailable for review.
- Cases where local governance approval is required but has not been obtained.
- Direct patient identifiers entered into the tool.
Audit standards
Local operational standards derived from the NHS England model discharge pathway, NICE NG27, NICE QS136 and local weekend discharge policy. Confirm and adjust local targets before starting.
- At least 90% of potential weekend discharges should be identified before the weekend where clinically possible.
- At least 90% should have expected discharge date reviewed or updated before the weekend.
- At least 90% should have criteria-to-reside status documented.
- At least 90% should have a discharge pathway and destination documented where relevant.
- At least 90% should have action owner, next action and timeframe documented.
- At least 90% should have pharmacy / TTO and discharge summary actions completed before the weekend where required.
- At least 90% should have therapy, equipment, transport, community or social care actions completed before the weekend where required.
- At least 90% should have weekend handover and escalation plan documented where discharge depends on weekend team action.
- At least 90% should have documentation clear enough for the weekend team, ward leader or discharge coordinator to safely progress discharge.
- At least 90% should have weekend discharge planning-related safety, flow or discharge concerns escalated or actioned where identified.
Identification and readiness
8 criteria
- C1Potential weekend or bank-holiday discharge was identified where relevant.
- C2Expected discharge date was documented.
- C3Expected discharge date was reviewed or updated before the weekend where relevant.
- C4Criteria-to-reside status was reviewed and documented.
- C5Discharge ready status was documented where relevant.
- C6Discharge ready date was documented where applicable.
- C7Patient-specific discharge criteria were documented where criteria-led discharge was possible.
- C8Criteria-led discharge plan was documented where applicable.
Ownership and pathway
10 criteria
- C9Responsible senior clinician or accountable team was documented.
- C10Named discharge coordinator or responsible coordinator was documented where required.
- C11Discharge pathway was assigned where relevant.
- C12Discharge destination was documented.
- C13Main barrier to weekend discharge was documented where discharge was not yet complete.
- C14Action owner was documented.
- C15Next action was documented.
- C16Action deadline or timeframe was documented where relevant.
- C17Friday or pre-weekend review was documented where relevant.
- C18Previous actions were reviewed and unresolved actions carried forward with an owner.
Actions and readiness tasks
8 criteria
- C19Pharmacy / TTO was requested and completed before the weekend where required.
- C20Discharge medicines reconciliation and medicines supply plan were documented where required.
- C21Discharge summary was drafted or completed before the weekend where required.
- C22Therapy assessment was completed before the weekend where required.
- C23Equipment need was identified and actioned before the weekend where required.
- C24Transport need was identified and arranged before the weekend where required.
- C25Community, virtual ward, urgent community response or nursing referral was completed before the weekend where required.
- C26Social care, care package or care provider actions were completed or confirmed before the weekend where required.
Communication and safety
4 criteria
- C27Patient was informed and involved in discharge planning where appropriate.
- C28Family, carer or important-person communication was completed where appropriate.
- C29Capacity, best interests or safeguarding issues were considered and escalated where relevant.
- C30Follow-up and safety-netting plan was documented where relevant.
Handover, escalation and documentation
6 criteria
- C31Weekend handover was completed where the weekend team needed to complete discharge.
- C32Escalation or contingency plan was documented where a weekend discharge barrier remained.
- C33Non-urgent investigations, reviews or consultations were deferred safely to outpatient, community or planned return pathway where appropriate.
- C34Reason for delayed, missing or incomplete weekend discharge planning was documented where applicable.
- C35Documentation was clear enough for the weekend team, ward leader or discharge coordinator to safely progress discharge.
- C36Any weekend discharge planning-related safety, flow or discharge concern was escalated or actioned where identified.