HOME LEAVE occurs when a PATIENT who is not liable to be detained under Part II of the Mental Health Act 1983 and who is using a bed in a WARD or care home spends a period of time outside hospital/care home, usually at home, with the intention of returning to the same type of WARD or care home to continue the same CONSULTANT EPISODE (HOSPITAL PROVIDER), MIDWIFE EPISODE or NURSING EPISODE.

A PATIENT liable to be detained in hospital under Part II of the Mental Health Act 1983 and as amended by the Mental Health (Patients in the Community) Act 1985, should be granted LEAVE OF ABSENCE instead of HOME LEAVE.

For a PATIENT under a NURSING EPISODE or a MIDWIFE EPISODE the period of time is at the discretion of the responsible nurse. The period of time for all other PATIENTS should be a maximum of Saturday, Sunday, NHS, bank and public holidays plus another three days. If a PATIENT does not return on the day specified and has failed to make alternative arrangements with hospital/care home staff, such a PATIENT should be considered discharged from that day. The date on which a PATIENT leaves the WARD to go on HOME LEAVE closes the preceding WARD STAY.

This class is also known by these names:

Context	Alias
plural	HOME LEAVES