Leaving King George Hospital for a nursing home: the discharge process for families in Ilford, Newbury Park and Redbridge

What happens, in order

King George Hospital in Goodmayes belongs to Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, the same trust as Queen's in Romford. Its wards discharge people once they are medically fit, on a model called discharge to assess. When someone cannot safely go home, the discharge team finds a care home or short-term rehabilitation bed. The London Borough of Redbridge then looks at needs and money after the person has left, and the NHS considers Continuing Healthcare. Abbey Care Complex in Newbury Park, a short drive away, offers step-down care from hospital, subject to assessment and availability.

The people you will meet

On the ward: the consultant's team, who decide when the person is medically fit, and the physiotherapists and occupational therapists, who assess mobility, transfers and the equipment needed. In the background: the discharge team, sometimes called the transfer of care hub, which matches people to the right next step and keeps a list of homes with vacancies. From the council: a social worker or care coordinator who assesses needs under the Care Act 2014. The responsible council is the one where the person normally lives. Ilford, Newbury Park, Gants Hill, Barkingside, Seven Kings, Goodmayes, Wanstead and Woodford are Redbridge. Chadwell Heath is split between Redbridge and Havering. Barking and Dagenham have their own council, as does Havering for Romford and Hornchurch. Check which council the ward has notified.

Discharge to assess in practice

Beds on an acute ward are not held while families tour homes. The person moves first, often to the first suitable bed, and the long-term decision follows over the next few weeks. On day one, ask the discharge team whether the first period is funded by the NHS or the council under local discharge arrangements, for how long, and which homes have a bed that matches the person's needs. Then visit. Call Abbey Care Complex on the day the ward raises discharge and we can talk through what is available and arrange an assessment.

Rehabilitation or permanent care

Many people leaving King George after a fall, a fractured hip, pneumonia, heart failure or a stroke do not need a permanent place. They need a few weeks of nursing and therapy before they can manage at home. Rehabilitation and recovery care at Abbey Care Complex is set up for that kind of stay, with a care plan developed alongside the GP and other healthcare professionals and reviewed as the person improves. Fifty rooms with en-suite facilities, 33 of them full wet rooms, and a wheelchair-accessible garden help someone who is still unsteady. If going home turns out not to be realistic, the talk about permanent care can happen with the person already settled.

What Abbey Care Complex needs from the ward

• The discharge summary and an up-to-date medication chart.
• The therapy assessment: can the person walk, stand, transfer; do they need a hoist, a profiling bed, a pressure-relieving mattress?
• Any treatment escalation or resuscitation decision, and whether a ReSPECT form has been completed.
• The GP's details, the social worker's name and the family's main contact.
• Whether a Continuing Healthcare checklist has been done and what it found.

Our own assessment then shows whether we can meet those needs and which room suits the person. Ask for the weekly fee in writing before transport is booked.

Who pays after discharge

If the person needs a registered nurse, the NHS pays Abbey Care Complex a weekly contribution called NHS-funded nursing care, and that comes off the fee. If their health needs are complex, intense or unpredictable, they may qualify for NHS Continuing Healthcare, which pays the full fee; ask the ward to complete the checklist before discharge. Otherwise Redbridge means-tests the person against the 2026/27 capital limits, disregards their house for the first twelve weeks, and offers a deferred payment agreement if the house has to be counted. Our Redbridge funding guide sets out every route.

Getting from King George to Abbey Care Complex

Abbey Care Complex is at 23 to 29 Abbey Road, Newbury Park, Ilford IG2 7NE. King George Hospital on Barley Lane is a short drive away via the Eastern Avenue. Newbury Park station on the Central line serves the area, and the A12 and the North Circular connect relatives coming from Romford, Woodford, Walthamstow or Barking.

The first week

People arrive from hospital tired and often weaker than when they went in. The first days are about sleep, fluids, meals and getting up and dressed, then moving into a lounge, the dining room or the garden as strength returns. Ask when the care plan will first be reviewed with you. Visit as often as you can in that week; it is when the person most needs a familiar face. To ask about a place or book a visit, call 020 8554 3743 or use the contact form.