A number of medically stable children and young people with complex care needs, and in particular those requiring long-term ventilation, are spending inappropriately long periods of time in acute hospital settings waiting for discharge packages to be formulated. Apart from the impact this has on availability of inpatient beds for other children, specifically intensive care beds, the hospital environment can be detrimental to the well being of the child/young person and family. Discharging these children home requires complex multi-agency care packages to be established, with a high degree of co-ordinated multi-agency working, planning and commissioning that must be continued in the long term.

UK governments need to set realistic standards for timely discharge of children with complex care needs once they are deemed medically fit. To achieve these standards there needs to be additional investment in community children’s nursing and transitional care units, improved data collection and a UK-wide framework for commissioning of services for children and families with complex care needs.