Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps are being taken to ensure that additional capacity for rehabilitation care is created for patients discharged from hospital after contracting covid-19.

On 19 March 2020, we published the ‘COVID-19 hospital discharge service requirements.’?This sets out guidance on supporting the safe and rapid discharge of patients who no longer need acute care. It follows the ‘Discharge to Assess’ model; wherever possible, people who are clinically ready will be supported to return to their place of residence, where assessment of longer-term needs will take place.

This guidance provides information to support health and care organisations?to ensure we have the capacity to meet the needs of people affected by COVID-19.?The Government has also made £1.3 billion funding available to the National Health Service to help patients who no longer need urgent treatment to get home from hospital safely and quickly.