6 weeks free NHS intermediate care – what happens next?
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What is the concept of intermediate care?
Intermediate care services are essentially there to provide additional temporary care after a hospital discharge. These services aim to support a faster recovery and help people regain their independence with daily living – this may be in their own home, or in a dedicated facility such as a community hospital. It can start a few hours after discharge, or in the following days.
It can help people avoid a further admission to hospital during their recovery period, and ease pressure on family or unpaid carers who may not have the time or necessary skills to take on a caring role. Without the right support network in place, a person may end up staying in hospital a lot longer than they need to be, or end up back in hospital.
A lack of suitable care is a big problem
As of 2024, it's estimated that 13% of hospital beds are taken up by people who are medically fit for discharge but can't because of a lack of provision of care at home.
Who is eligible for intermediate care?
Intermediate care is regularly provided by the NHS. It’s non-means tested – meaning if you’re deemed as needing it it’ll be free for a limited period – commonly up to six weeks. Support can be provided by a team of health professionals including –
- Care home staff
- Home carers (if you’re recovering at home and are receiving domiciliary care)
- Occupational therapists – to help you manage everyday tasks more easily
- Physiotherapists – to help you improve movement and be active
speech and language therapists – to help with any difficulties with communication, eating, and drinking
Your intermediate care team may include all or some of these professionals, depending on what you’re able to do following your discharge from hospital, and what you want to achieve in order to regain your independence.
Am I receiving intermediate care?
Intermediate services may have different names depending on the type of support you’re receiving, and the NHS foundation trust that’s delivering it. There are 4 main types that are usually called –
- Reablement – care that helps you relearn how to do daily activities, including domestic tasks like meal preparation and light housework, as well as personal care.This may also be referred to as ‘step-down care’.
- Crisis response – short-term care up to 48 hours after a hospital discharge
home based care – care delivered in in your own home - Bed based intermediate care – a type of care after hospital discharge that’s delivered away from your home. For example you may be transferred to a community bed-based setting – these are small local hospitals that are better equipped to support active rehabilitation than larger hospitals.
NHS intermediate care isn't always available
Hospital staff will always assess your health and care needs before you leave hospital to support a safe discharge. However, whether you’re offered up to 6 weeks of free intermediate care can depends on how soon they think you’ll be able to cope at home, and the types of services that are available in your area.
Different NHS trusts offer different intermediate care services. Some may be able to facilitate moving into a residential care home or specialist intermediate care unit, while others may have local support services to help you recover at home.
It’s worth asking on the hospital ward about your loved one’s discharge plan ahead of time to help prepare for a smooth transition from hospital.
You can also check on your relevant trust’s website to get an idea of the type of intermediate care you or your loved one may be offered so you can make informed choices about their ongoing care. We’ve included links to patient advice from some NHS England trusts below.
What happens if I'm not offered 6 weeks of intermediate care ?
If you’ve been discharged without a package of care, but think you need it, it’s best to contact your local council’s social care services department as soon as possible. However, if you’re deemed to be able to afford it you’ll have to fund this yourself. The NHS won’t step in and pay for intermediate care once discharge arrangements have been made and you’ve left hospital.
In Scotland, you can find out what intermediate care services are available in your area by visiting your local council’s website. If you’re in Wales, you can find out more about intermediate care here.

Arranging care after a hospital discharge
You can find out more about the discharge process and how to put longer-term care options in place in our guide, approved by Alexis Cable - Elder's own Clinical Director.
Can you refuse NHS intermediate care?
You can, but hopefully you won’t need to. During your discharge assessment hospital staff should take into account your wishes and preferences, as well as your ongoing health and they type of care needed when making discharge decisions.
This means you (and your family if you wish) will be involved in the decisions about what type of support is most suitable and where it’ll take place. If home care is your preferred option but there is limited NHS care options available, the hospital may get your local adult social services involved to offer further support.
However in some cases, such as if you want to recover at home but intermediate care is only available through a specialist facility, you may refuse it and arrange your own private care instead.
Myself or my loved one has just started post-discharge care, what can we expect over the coming weeks?
Care will usually begin quite quickly – it may start on the day of discharge, or a a few days after the discharge process. You should receive information about the service, and will work alongside a healthcare professional to plan out your recovery goals, how you’d like to reach them, and identify daily activities that may be difficult.
You’ll likely have a diary that logs your care and the progress you’re making towards your goals. This information should be written clearly so that you can read and understand it.
The period of time you receive intermediate services can be subject to change depending on the speed of your progress, so you may not need it for the full 6-week period. If you’re worried or have any questions at any point about your care and recovery, you’ll be provided with the name and contact details of someone to talk to.

What happens when intermediate care ends?
If you reach the end of the initial period and need long-term care your care team should provide a plan for transferring to another care service for additional care, and work with you to agree what happens next. This may involve speaking to social workers from your local council about other types of care, such as home help, daily care visits, or full-time live in care.
You should also be told –
- How to refer yourself again if you need to
- What you should do if something goes wrong
- Where to go for other types of support or equipment that might help if you’re still finding some tasks difficult.
If your intermediate care is coming to an end, don’t be afraid to reach out to your contact person about what happens next. It’s good to get ahead so that you can start your needs assessment process and voice your care preferences for your ongoing care early.
Is ongoing care also free?
Unfortunately not. However, you may be eligible for some level of care funding from your local council. If you think you need care but are worried about costs, it’s important to research your funding options. Professional care plays a vital role in keeping you safe and independent. In fact, the NHS believe up to 20% of emergency hospital admissions could be potentially avoidable with the right care in place.
Now that NHS trusts use the discharge to assess model, There’s no longer a requirement to carry out a care assessment before a person leaves hospital. Carried out by a social worker, this care assessment would usually identify if a person has has eligible care needs for permanent care, and if so, would lead to a financial assessment, to work out if the local council will contribute to or cover the cost of their care.
Instead, the care needs assessment will be carried out after a period of recovery, and it’s crucial you ask for one if you’re still finding daily life difficult after intermediate care. You can find out more about the assessment here.
Arranging care with Elder
If you’re looking for private care after discharge, need additional short-term support for longer than six weeks, or are seeking a permanent care solution, Elder can help you connect to self-employed adult carers who’ll help with difficult daily tasks, while protecting independence and dignity in your own home.
A self employed carer from Elder can help with a wide variety of daily life activities, including –
- Cooking meals
- Light housekeeping and laundry
- Medication reminders, and help following medication instructions
- Short-term recovery support, such as helping you to follow any special diet or exercise programme outlined in your recovery plan
- Mobility support
- Social support, such as seeing friends and family
- Getting out and about, such as attending follow up appointments and running errands
If your intermediate care is coming to an end, don’t be afraid to reach out to your contact person about what happens next. It’s good to get ahead so that you can start your needs assessment process and voice your care preferences early.
Get flexible care visits when you need them
Elder now provides visiting home-based care services across Manchester and Leeds. Easily connect to suitable carers for one-off visits or to support longer-term care needs. Find out more by speaking to our care experts.
- Choose your own carer
- Build your own schedule
- Get personalised care at home
To learn more about Elder and get started on your care journey –
1) Give us a call – our clinical team may be able to offer a liaison service with your intermediate care team or local social care professionals to check the progress of any care needs assessment, and understand whether the support of a visiting or live-in carer would be suitable.
2) If you’re new to the world of care, our care advisors can help you understand more about the different types of funding available. You can also try our free online funding calculator tool to find out whether you’re likely to be eligible.
3) Create your free online account and submit your care request. This can be done in around 5 minutes and will give us the information we need to shortlist suitable self-employed carers.
4) You’ll receive the profiles of these carers to review – including a short introductory video and feedback from other families they’ve supported. Choose your favourite and chat to them to find out if they’re a good match. You can also complete your care profile in your account too, to give your future carer a complete picture of the type of care you’re looking for.
5) Once you’ve chosen your carer you can begin making care arrangements directly with them – such as agreeing their schedule and talking them through your care plan. You can use your online account to manage your care schedule, keep your care information up to date, and communicate with your carer and the Elder support team.
Sources –
- https://beta.bathnes.gov.uk/what-happens-when-your-intermediate-care-ends
- https://www.nice.org.uk/about/nice-communities/social-care/quick-guides/understanding-intermediate-care
- https://www.ageuk.org.uk/globalassets/age-uk/documents/factsheets/fs76_intermediate_care_and_reablement_fcs.pdf
- https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/social-care-and-support-guide/care-after-a-hospital-stay/care-after-illness-or-hospital-discharge-reablement/
- https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/social-care-and-support-guide/care-services-equipment-and-care-homes/care-and-support-you-can-get-for-free/
- https://www.gov.uk/government/news/nhs-to-expand-services-to-keep-vulnerable-out-of-hospital
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