All patients – whether a day case or needing a short or long stay, and whether they have few needs or complex needs – should receive comprehensive discharge planning. Post‐operatively, discharge planning must be tailored to the individual needs of the patient, particularly in relation to advice and information on recovery and self‐management (DH [48]).

The increase in same‐day surgical admissions combined with shorter hospital stays means that more post‐operative recovery, including wound healing, now takes place at home. This means that where appropriate, patients need to have assimilated the knowledge of usual post‐operative outcomes and management with the ability to recognize when professional intervention and/or advice are required.

Surgery can be physically and psychologically stressful, resulting in patients forgetting information and teaching provided pre‐operatively (Mitchell [125], Pereira et al. [163]). Nurses therefore need to reinforce pre‐operative education post‐operatively, ensuring that information and discussions are tailored to the patient's individual needs, taking into account their level of anxiety and distress (Mitchell [125]). Ongoing assessment of the patient's understanding of the information given should be carried out and documented. Nurses should teach patients and carers any necessary skills (including how to use equipment), allowing sufficient time for them to practise before discharge. This will enable patients to be as independent as possible post‐operatively and promote an understanding of any self‐care initiatives required on discharge. This should be supported with centralized evidence‐based written information concerning post‐discharge care at home (see Chapter c03: Discharge care and planning).