Just Discharged from Hospital:
What To Do Next
What to do if you have left hospital after a mental health crisis and you are still unsafe, unsupported, confused, overwhelmed, or unsure what happens next.
Leaving hospital does not always mean the crisis is over. You might still feel unsafe, confused about your discharge plan, worried about medication, or unsure who is meant to support you now.
You do not need to sort everything at once. Start with the most urgent thing you need right now.
If you are not safe right now
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 999 now.
If you need urgent mental health support but it is not an immediate emergency, call 111 and ask for mental health support.
You do not need to explain everything perfectly. This sentence is enough to start:
“I’ve just been discharged from hospital after a mental health crisis and I am not safe right now.”
If everything feels safe for now, choose your situation below.
What do you need most right now?
Choose the option that feels closest. You can come back and choose another one afterwards.
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For suicidal thoughts, panic, distress, fear, or feeling unable to keep yourself safe.
Go to this section → -
For paperwork, follow-up care, medication changes, crisis contacts, or not knowing what happens next.
Go to this section → -
For missed calls, no appointments, no contact from services, or not knowing who is responsible.
Go to this section → -
For missing medication, side effects, unclear instructions, prescription problems, or feeling worse after changes.
Go to this section → -
For homelessness, unsafe housing, being alone, risk from someone else, or being somewhere that makes things worse.
Go to this section → -
For when everything feels too much and you just need the first step.
Go to this section → -
For family, friends, partners, or loved ones trying to help someone after hospital discharge.
Go to this section → -
Information on what should have happened before you were discharged.
Go to this section→
I still don’t feel safe
If you have just left hospital and still feel unsafe, you can ask for help again.
Being discharged does not mean you have to cope alone. If things feel too much, or you are worried you may hurt yourself or someone else, get help now.
What you can do right now
Call 999 if there is immediate danger
Call 111 and ask for mental health support
Ask about your local crisis team
Go to A&E if you feel unsafe
Stay near someone you trust if possible
Move away from anything you could use to hurt yourself
“I’ve just been discharged from hospital after a mental health crisis and I’m not coping. I don’t feel safe and I need urgent support.”
What you can say:
Who might help
NHS 24 on 111
A&E
Someone you trust
999 if there is immediate danger
I don’t understand my discharge plan
This is very common. Discharge paperwork can be confusing, especially after a mental health crisis.
You may not know what support should happen next, who is meant to contact you, what medication you should take, or what to do if you feel worse.
What you should have been told
What support is meant to happen next
Who is meant to contact you
When follow-up should happen
What medication you should take
What to do if you feel worse
Who to contact in a crisis
What you can do right now
Ask for your discharge summary to be explained
Ask what support should already be in place
Ask whether you have been referred to a Community Mental Health Team
Ask who is responsible for follow-up care
Write down who you speak to and what they say
What you can say:
“I’ve been discharged from hospital but I don’t understand my discharge plan. I need someone to explain what support I should have and who is meant to contact me.”
Hospital ward or discharge team, if you have contact details
Community Mental Health Team, if already involved
NHS 24 on 111 if you are unsure or getting worse
Who might help
Nobody has contacted me for follow-up support
After a mental health crisis, you should not be left trying to manage everything alone.
If you were told someone would contact you and they have not, you can chase this up. You do not need to wait until things get worse.
What you should have been told
Ask if they have received your discharge summary
Ask what follow-up support was arranged
Ask whether you have been referred to the Community Mental Health Team
Contact the hospital ward or discharge team if you have their number
Call 111 if you are unsure or feel worse
Call 999 if there is immediate danger
Date and time
Who you called
Who you spoke to
What they said
What they agreed to do
Any reference number
Keep note of:
“I was discharged after a mental health crisis and I haven’t been contacted for follow-up. Can you check what support should be in place?”
What you can say:
Hospital ward or discharge team, if you have contact details
Community Mental Health Team, if already involved
NHS 24 on 111 if you are unsure or getting worse
Who might help
I have issues with medication
Do not ignore medication problems after discharge.
Medication changes can be confusing, especially if you are tired, distressed, or still recovering from a crisis. If you do not understand what you are meant to take, or you do not have the medication you need, ask for help quickly.
This is especially important if
You do not have your medication
You do not understand what has changed
You are having side effects
You feel worse after starting medication
You feel worse after stopping medication
You are worried you may take the wrong dose
Your prescription has not reached the pharmacy
You were discharged without clear instructions
Contact your pharmacy if the issue is supply or instructions
Call 111 if your GP is closed or you are unsure
Go to A&E if you feel seriously unwell
Call 999 if there is immediate danger
What you can do
“I’ve just been discharged from hospital and I need help with my medication. I don’t understand what I’m meant to take / I don’t have what I need / I’m having side effects.”
What you can say:
NHS 24 on 111
A&E if urgent
999 if there is immediate danger
Who might help
I don’t feel safe where I was discharged to
You should not be left somewhere unsafe after a mental health crisis.
Unsafe does not only mean sleeping rough. It can also mean being somewhere that puts you at risk, makes your mental health worse, or leaves you without the support you need to stay safe.
Unsafe might mean
You have nowhere to stay
You are at risk from someone else
You are alone and feel at risk of harming yourself
The place you are staying could make your mental health worse
You cannot manage safely without support
You have been discharged into a situation involving violence, abuse, exploitation, or severe distress
What you can do
Call 999 if there is immediate danger
Contact your local council housing team
Ask for a homeless assessment
Call 111 and explain your mental health situation
Go somewhere safer if possible
Contact Shelter Scotland for housing advice
What you can say:
“I’ve just been discharged from hospital and I do not have somewhere safe to stay. I need emergency accommodation and support.”
If the first person you speak to does not understand the risk, say clearly:
“This is connected to a mental health crisis and I do not feel safe tonight.”
Who might help
NHS 24 on 111
A&E if you feel unsafe
999 if there is immediate danger
I feel completely overwhelmed
This is very common after leaving hospital.
You do not need to fix everything today. You do not need to understand the whole system. Start with the next safe step.
Call 111
Speak to someone you trust
Sit somewhere safer, preferably near another person
Move away from anything you could use to hurt yourself
Focus on the next few hours, not everything
Use text support if speaking feels too hard
What you can do
“I’ve just come out of hospital and I feel overwhelmed. I don’t know what to do next. Can you stay with me while I get help?”
What you can say:
NHS 24 on 111
Someone you trust
999 if there is immediate danger
Who might help
If you’re supporting someone
If someone you care about has just left hospital after a mental health crisis, focus on safety, stability, and support.
They may be exhausted, frightened, ashamed, confused, or still very unwell. Try not to overwhelm them with too many questions at once.
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Ask:
Are they safe right now?
Are they alone?
Are they at risk of harming themselves or someone else?
Do they seem confused, panicked, ashamed, withdrawn, or out of control?
Do they have somewhere safe to stay tonight?
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Check:
Have they eaten?
Have they slept?
Have they taken medication?
Do they have their medication?
Do they understand what they are meant to take?
Do they have their phone, keys, money, and discharge paperwork?
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Help them:
Contact NHS 24 on 111
Contact their GP practice
Contact the Community Mental Health Team if already involved
Contact housing support if they have nowhere safe to stay
Stay with them or help them get somewhere safer
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Rapid decline after discharge
Talking about suicide or not wanting to live
Confusion about medication or next steps
Withdrawal, panic, agitation, or distress
No safe place to stay
Missed follow-up contact
Increased use of alcohol or substances
Not sleeping or eating
Saying goodbye or giving things away
What you can do
“I’m supporting someone who has just been discharged from hospital after a mental health crisis and I’m worried they are not safe.”
You do not need their permission to call 999 if there is immediate danger.
What you can say:
What should have happened before discharge
Before leaving hospital, there should usually be a clear plan for what happens next.
If this did not happen, you can still ask for help now.
It is okay to question whether discharge was safe.
A discharge plan or discharge summary
Information about follow-up care
Medication explained clearly
Crisis contacts
Safety planning
Support needs considered
Housing or social care concerns identified where relevant
Information shared with your GP or relevant community services
This may include
If this did not happen:
You can ask for someone to explain what support should be in place
You can ask for your discharge plan to be reviewed
You can ask who is responsible for follow-up
You can ask whether your GP has received the discharge summary
You can ask for help raising concerns
“I do not think my discharge was safe. I need someone to review what support should be in place.”
What you can say:
Hospital ward or discharge team
Community Mental Health Team, if involved
NHS 24 on 111 if urgent
Patient Advice and Support Service if you want help raising concerns
Who might help
Leaving hospital after a mental health crisis can be a risky point. People may leave hospital while still distressed, unsupported, confused, without safe housing, or without a clear follow-up plan.
What often goes wrong here
This may include
People leave without understanding their discharge plan
Follow-up support is unclear or delayed
Medication changes are not explained clearly
Housing or safety concerns are missed
Family or loved ones may not know how to help
People may feel shame, fear, confusion, anger, or hopelessness after discharge
Different services may not communicate clearly with each other
If this has happened to you, it is not your fault. You can still ask for help now.
What matters most right now
You do not need to solve everything today.
Get somewhere safer.
Do not stay alone if you feel at risk.
Take one step at a time.