Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of discharges late on Friday evenings on the safeguarding and wellbeing of patients.

Every acute hospital has access to a multi-disciplinary care transfer hub, where National Health Service and social care professionals manage discharges and arrange appropriate support packages for patients, so they receive the services they need upon their discharge. As set out in the statutory guidance on hospital discharge and community support, these teams should ensure that any safeguarding concerns have been considered alongside other support needs.