Funding to evaluate potential improvements to discharge delivery in health and social care services, spanning patient-level, service-level and system-level improvements for children and young people (C&YP) and for adults.
The scope includes discharge from acute hospital settings, mental health inpatient services and specialist inpatient services, for example, those for people with learning disabilities and autism.
Although applications may address discharge delivery across the entire system pathway, particular interest is given to community focused and integrated discharge pathways that support the broader health and social care ambition of shifting care from hospital to community settings.
Proposals should show how the research builds on the existing evidence base and demonstrate clear potential for impact, going beyond purely descriptive work.
This funding opportunity is deliberately broad, reflecting a range of identified research needs across discharge delivery for C&YP and adults.
The following areas are of particular interest – however, other related areas may be proposed with appropriate justification:
- Evaluation of whole-system approaches to discharge planning including:
- examining the key features and impact of effective integrated partnerships across hospitals, primary care, social care services, community and VCSE services in coordinating discharge planning; managing risk; workforce capacity; system resilience and sustainability.
- effectiveness and implementation of whole-system discharge approaches, and their integration with neighbourhood health teams and wider partners, to improve discharge efficiency and patient and carer outcomes.
- Co-producing and/or evaluating innovative approaches to discharge that:
- embed shared decision making and outcomes that are meaningful to patients, carers and families.incorporate longer-term outcomes at both patient-level, and health and social care system-level.
- embed innovative adaptations to service design and delivery aimed at improving equity in access and meeting the needs of diverse groups, including (but not limited to) C&YP, young carers and those with complex needs post-discharge.
- Evaluations of alternative approaches to service delivery that have not been rigorously evaluated, and their impact on patient health outcomes, wellbeing, quality of life, patient experience and hospital utilisation. Areas of interest include (but not limited to):
- social care and community-based interventions (e.g. home interventions post discharge)
- Evaluating how services support health and social care professionals to develop the skills and experience needed to support flexible, cross-organisational working and the impact on:
- patient and carer outcomes, including patient safety and safeguarding
- wider service and system discharge outcomes
- Evaluations of innovative technology-enabled discharge approaches and the impact on:
- cross-organisational coordination and continuity of care workforce efficiency and acceptability
- patient and carer experience and outcomes
ELIGIBILITY
Health and Social Care Delivery Research Programme scope and eligibility rules apply. In practice, this requires multidisciplinary teams with health services research expertise as well as service user and provider input. Mentorship for less-established researchers is welcomed.
VALUE AND DURATION
There is no monetary limit or fixed time period for funding (beyond a stated budget of £5m to support multiple studies).
KEY DATES
Webinar: 18 August 2026 (register via hsdrcommissioning@nihr.ac.uk)
Outline application deadline: 16 September 2026
Full application opening date: November 2026
Full application deadline: February 2027
More information, including ongoing and completed studies of interest within this portfolio, is available in the document below and on the opportunity webpage. Also included below is an outline application template.