Website of the Department of Health

Direction on Choice of Accommodation checklist

Checklist to help councils and NHS partners work together to ensure the discharge process complies with the Choice of Accommodation directions, 1992.

The new Guidance on the National Assistance Act 1948 (Choice of Accommodation) Directions 1992 has now been issued under the cover of LAC(2004)20. The new Guidance replaces the guidance which accompanied the Choice of Accommodation Directions 1992, and the further guidance included in LAC(2001)29 to take account of the National Assistance Act 1948 (Choice of Accommodation) (Amendment) (England) Directions 2001 and the National Assistance (Additional Payments and Assessment of resources (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2001.

• Discharge from hospital - a matter of 'choice': A supplementary checklist on implementing the Direction on Choice of Accommodation
• LAC (2004)20: Guidance on National Assistance Act 1948 (Choice of Accommodation) Directions 1992 and National Assistance (Residential Accommodation) (Additional Payments and Assessment Of Resources) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2001
• Updated guidance on National Assistance Act 1948 (Choice of Accommodation) Directions 1992: Consultation outcome

Postcode to Local Authority mapping tool

The National Administrative Codes has a postcode search facility which will return the local authority as well as local health organisations for any postcode in England and Wales, for use in ascertaining the the local authority responsible for individual patients. You then need to use the lookup list below to establish which of the 150 local authorities with social services responsibility this applies to.

• NACS postcode lookup (NHSnet users only: ID and password required) (opens new window)
• Download lookup list: local authorities and their local authority with social services responsibilities (PDF, 18K)
• Download list: local authority contact details (PDF, 18K)
• National Administrative Codes Service (general information and contact details) (opens new window)

Reimbursement training materials

The implementation team has produced a series of training materials to support frontline staff and their managers from both the NHS and social services departments in the implementation of the Community Care (Delayed Discharges, etc.) Act 2003.

Training modules for effective hospital discharge
The Change Agent team at the Department has developed a set of training modules to accompany the discharge manual "Discharge from Hospital: pathway, process and practice", published by the Department of Health in January 2003. The learning material is designed to help senior staff and practitioners in acute hospitals and their partners in Local Authorities and Primary Care Trusts to improve the discharge care pathway of adults who have complex discharge needs. An additional module is being developed for use in emergency units.

• Learning materials for Effective Hospital Discharge (opens new window)

Staff versions of guidance

The Department has produced brief versions of the official guidance accompaning, targeted to suit the different staff groups involved:

• Download brief guidance for NHS staff (PDF, 107K)
• Download brief guidance for social services staff (PDF, 110K)