Being prepared for going home after surgery/treatment

When you leave hospital, your hospital team will send an electronic discharge letter to your GP practice. This letter explains your hospital stay, any treatment you received, and any changes to your medicines.

Once your GP practice receives this information, they will update your medicine list. This process is not automatic, it may take a few days, especially after weekends or bank holidays.

Why does this matter?

Your GP is usually responsible for your ongoing prescriptions, so it is important that your medicine list is correct and up to date. If the information from the hospital is delayed or not processed in time, it can lead to:

• missed doses
• continuing medicines you no longer need
• not receiving new medicines you received in hospital
• confusion when ordering your next repeat prescription

Checking in good time before you need your next prescription helps prevent problems and keeps you safe. Remember: updates are not automatic – the team in your GP practice need time to read your discharge letter and manually update your record.

What you need to do:

Check your repeat prescription list

You can check whether your repeat prescription has been updated on the NHS Wales App. This can be accessed using a web browser e.g., on a computer, or on your mobile device. Follow this link for more information about the NHS Wales App

To check your medicines

1. Open the NHS Wales App
2. Go to My Health
3. Select GP health record
4. Choose medicines

Here you will see:

• Acute (short-term) medicines
• Repeat medicines: current
• Repeat medicines: discontinued

If you cannot use the NHS Wales App, you may be able to contact your GP practice by phone, or call in, to ask whether your discharge letter has been received and processed (remember to wait a few days because the team need time to read your discharge letter and manually update your record).

Compare the lists

Check that the medicines shown on your repeat prescription match the medicines you were given to take home from hospital.

If your medicines have not been updated

If it has been a few days (not including weekends or bank holidays when the practice is closed) and your medicines have not been updated:

• Contact your GP practice reception team
• Explain that you have recently been discharged from hospital
• Tell them you were expecting changes to your medicines
• Ask whether your discharge letter has arrived and been actioned

After a hospital stay, you may find medicines in your cupboard that you no longer need or that have now been changed. Keeping your medicines cupboard clean and organised helps you stay safe and avoid taking the wrong medicine.

A cluttered cupboard can be dangerous and may lead to:

• Using out-of-date medicines or medicines no longer prescribed
• Taking the wrong medicine
• Risk of accidental overdose
• Accidentally taking someone else’s medicine

Why does this matter?

• Every year, millions of pounds worth of medicines go to waste across the NHS
• Once medicines leave the pharmacy, they can’t be reused – even if unopened
• Keeping large amounts of medicines at home can be unsafe, especially for children and pets
• Out‑of‑date or duplicate medicines can cause confusion, especially if your prescription has recently changed after a hospital stay

What you need to do:

• When you get home, check your cupboard for medicines that have now been stopped or changed after your hospital stay
• Check for duplicate supplies especially medicines with the same active ingredient (e.g., painkillers, inhalers, creams)
• Separate anything you no longer need, anything out of date, or anything you are no longer prescribed
• Take these medicines back to your local community pharmacy, who will dispose of them safely – don’t throw them in the bin or flush them away

Before ordering your repeat prescription check it has been updated as expected. (See the section ‘How will my GP know I have had changes to my medicines’ above.)

You may need to ask a relative or friend to collect your repeat prescription while you recover, speak to them in advance so they can plan ahead.

Why does this matter?

• Every year, millions of pounds worth of medicines go to waste across the NHS
• Once medicines leave the pharmacy, they can’t be reused – even if unopened
• Keeping large amounts of medicines at home can be unsafe, especially for children and pets
• Out‑of‑date or duplicate medicines can cause confusion, especially if your prescription has recently changed after a hospital stay

What you need to do:

• Work out when you need order your prescription after coming home and mark this on your calendar, so you don’t forget
• Only order the medicines you need. When you do this, you will help protect yourself, your family, the environment, and NHS resources

Here are some general hints and tips for ordering your repeat prescription after coming home from hospital.

Keep track of when you need more medicines

• Consider marking the dates you need to order on your calendar, so you don’t forget
• After discharge, you may need to order a little earlier or later than usual, depending on how much supply you were given in hospital
• If you do need to order at a different time, tell your GP practice why. Administration staff may need to check with your practice pharmacist or GP before processing your request

Check before you order

• Look in the place where you keep your medicines (like your medicines cupboard) before reordering
• Make sure you really need each item

Only order what you need

• Only ask for the medicines you’re running low on.
• It’s okay not to order everything on your repeat list – you can always request it later when you genuinely need them.

Don’t worry if your repeat prescription is ‘tidied up’ and it looks like an item may have been removed – this usually means your practice pharmacist or GP wants to check that the removed medicine is still the best option for you, especially if you haven’t used it for a while.

If you do need that medicine again, just ask – your practice pharmacist or GP can easily add it back if it’s still the right choice for you.

How to order what you need

There are a number of ways you can order your repeat prescription from your GP practice:

• Using the NHS Wales App Follow this link for instructions for the NHS Wales App
• Using other online services your GP practice may provide Follow this link and select 'Services Near You' on the NHS Wales 111 website to find your GP
• Taking your paper repeat slip to the GP practice

Talk to your pharmacist or GP

• If you have any concerns, let your practice pharmacist or GP know
• They can help review your prescription and make sure it’s right for you

Return unused medicines

• Take any unwanted or out-of-date medicines to your local pharmacy
• They’ll dispose of them safely - don’t throw them in the bin or flush them away

If a family member, carer, or your community pharmacy helps you with your medicines, you may need a bit of extra support when you come home from hospital. Your medicines may have changed, so it’s important that everyone involved in helping you with your medicines knows what has changed since your hospital stay.

Checking your repeat prescription

Ask them to check your repeat prescription matches the medicines you were given to take home from hospital (ask them to use the notes above as a guide).

Your medicines cupboard

Ask them to help you clean and organise your medicines cupboard (ask them to use the notes above as a guide).

Ordering medicines

After surgery or treatment, your medicines may need to be ordered a little earlier or later than usual. Let those who help you know as soon as possible, so they can plan ahead (ask them to use the notes above as a guide).

Why does this matter?

Having the right information helps those who support you. Making sure those involved in helping you with your medicines are informed helps ensure you have the right medicines at the right time.

Why does this matter?

Living with pain while recovering from surgery can be challenging and may affect your daily life, mood, and ability to stay active. Understanding pain and learning ways to manage it can help improve your quality of life while you recover.

What you need to do:

Follow this link for more information on improving life with long-term pain, which may also be helpful during your recovery

IFollow this link to go to our improving life with long-term pain web page

These pages will help you:

• Understand pain – what is pain and why does it happen?
• Pain and medication – what medicines can help and how to use them safely
• Self-management techniques – strategies you can use every day
• Working while living with pain – tips for staying in work or returning to work
• Pain management resources – where to find more help and support

It is okay to still have questions about your medicines after you go home. You may even think of more questions once you are back at home.

Why does this matter?

Getting answers helps you feel confident and helps you take your medicines safely. Your healthcare team wants you to ask questions – they are there to help.

What you need to do:

• Write your questions down so you do not forget anything
• Take your list of questions with you to appointments or when speaking to a healthcare professional
• Talk to the right person:
  • Community pharmacist – for advice about medicines you buy or are prescribed, and for general questions
  • Practice pharmacist – for help with your repeat prescription and long-term medicines or if you’re worried about side effects
  • GP – for questions about your overall treatment plan

(See the section ‘Useful questions to ask about your medicines’ above for ideas)

Follow this link for more information about the different types of pharmacists

It is normal to have concerns once you are home after surgery or treatment. Knowing who to contact can help you get the right advice quickly and feel reassured.

Why does this matter?

Getting the right help at the right time can prevent problems from getting worse and helps keep you safe during your recovery.

What you need to do:

During normal surgery opening hours

• Contact your own GP practice if you have concerns

Outside normal surgery opening hours

• Contact NHS 111 Wales by calling 111 for urgent advice when you are unable to contact your GP practice

In an emergency

• Call 999 if you are very unwell or need immediate help

Specialist contact details

• In some cases, depending on your surgery or treatment, your specialist team may give you direct contact details. Use these if you have been advised to do so