Quick summary
Alsager and the south of the county discharge through Leighton in Crewe rather than Macclesfield, and the ward teams and community services are different. The funding rules are identical. Ask about free reablement before you agree to pay anyone, and check which provider actually covers your village.
Â
Why the south is different
Most of this area discharges through Macclesfield District General. The south does not.
Leighton Hospital in Crewe serves Crewe, Nantwich, Sandbach, Alsager and the surrounding south Cheshire towns. It is a different trust with different ward teams, a different discharge process and different community services feeding into it, even though the council, Cheshire East, is the same one as in Macclesfield.
That combination catches families out. The funding and the assessment route are identical to the north of the county, and the people you deal with are not.
Â
What is the same wherever you are discharged
Â
- Reablement and intermediate care are free for up to six weeks and not means-tested. Ask on the ward before paying for anything. See the six weeks of free care.
- A care needs assessment is free and a legal right under the Care Act 2014.
- Cheshire East Council adult social care is the responsible authority for Alsager and south Cheshire, on 0300 123 5010.
- The capital limits are £23,250 and £14,250, and the house is not counted for care at home.
- Discharge to assess applies, so long-term decisions should not be made on the ward.
- NHS Continuing Healthcare is not means-tested, and Fast Track applies at end of life.
Â
The questions and things to check out
Â
When | What to do |
|---|---|
As soon as discharge is mentioned | Ask the discharge coordinator: “Has she been assessed for reablement or intermediate care?” Ask for the discharge summary and the weight bearing status |
Same day | Walk the house. Bed, toilet, stairs, kettle, phone. Note what is impossible rather than what is untidy |
Same day | Confirm what equipment is ordered and when it will arrive. A bed arriving after the patient is the classic problem |
Next day | If private care is needed on top, ring two or three providers. Ask minimum visit length, whether you meet the carer first, and whether they actually cover your village |
Next day | Food in the house, heating on, key safe fitted, someone doing a first night check |
Within a week of getting home | GP appointment for a medication review, and a falls assessment if the admission followed a fall |
Our fuller discharge guide covers the questions to ask the ward in more detail. Everything in it applies at Leighton too.
Â
The coverage question
We cover Alsager, along with Congleton, Holmes Chapel and the rest of East Cheshire, and we also cover Kidsgrove and Biddulph over the Staffordshire border, which are close by.
Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach sit outside the area we currently serve. If you are in one of those towns, ring us on 01625 720157 and we will tell you straight away whether we can help, and if we cannot we will say so rather than taking details and calling back.
Two practical tips for finding someone who does cover you. Ask the hospital’s discharge team who is currently taking referrals in your postcode, because they know week by week. And ask Cheshire East Council’s adult social care team, who hold the list of contracted providers for the area.
Â
Which council, since the border runs close here
Alsager is Cheshire East. Kidsgrove, a few minutes away, is Staffordshire County Council for care and Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council for Council Tax. Biddulph is Staffordshire County and Staffordshire Moorlands.
Two people in neighbouring villages can therefore have completely different charging rules and different phone numbers. Our guide to which council does what sorts it out, and it matters more in the south than anywhere else on this patch.
Â
If the discharge feels too early
Say exactly that to the discharge coordinator and ask for it to be recorded in the notes.
Be specific rather than general. “She cannot get up the stairs and the only toilet is upstairs” carries weight. “I’m worried” does not, however true it is. If you get nowhere, ask for the ward manager or the trust’s patient advice and liaison service.
The counterweight, which is also true: time in hospital deconditions older people quickly, and a longer stay is not automatically safer. The aim is a safe discharge rather than a delayed one.
Â
Frequently asked questions
Who arranges care after Leighton Hospital?
The ward and discharge team arrange reablement or intermediate care. Ongoing care is arranged through Cheshire East Council after an assessment, or privately by the family.
Is the process different from Macclesfield?
The people and the trust differ. The legal framework, the funding rules and the council are the same for Cheshire East residents.
Do you cover Crewe and Nantwich?
Not currently. We cover Alsager, Congleton, Holmes Chapel and the rest of East Cheshire, plus Kidsgrove and Biddulph. Ring and we will tell you straight away rather than stringing it out.
How quickly can care start?
Often within a few days of an assessment. What usually takes longest is equipment and assessments rather than the provider.
Will the council pay?
It depends on the financial assessment. The house is not counted for care at home, which is the point most families do not know. See what happens in an assessment.
What if she needs care permanently?
Often she will not. Many packages after a hospital stay run six to twelve weeks and then reduce. Agree a review date at the start.
Â
About Visiting Angels Cheshire East
Visiting Angels Cheshire East provides care at home across Macclesfield, Wilmslow, Knutsford, Congleton, Alsager and the surrounding villages of East Cheshire, along with Buxton, Whaley Bridge and the Staffordshire Moorlands towns including Kidsgrove and Biddulph.
- Care can often start within a few days of an initial visit.
- You choose your caregiver, and meet them before care starts.
- No visit is ever shorter than an hour.
- Short term packages stay short term, reducing as someone recovers.
- Carers trained in stroke recovery, Parkinson’s, dementia and complex care.
Val had support at home after her hip replacement:
“Super service, very pleasant and caring staff that came to see me when I had my hip replacement done. Will miss our tea and chat now.”
Valerie Hewitt, Google review
Â
Not sure what you need yet? Start with a free assessment
Our free home care assessment is a visit at a time that suits you, with no obligation afterwards. In it we will:
- Work out what is actually difficult, and which times of day.
- Talk through a realistic package, what it would cost, and how it should reduce.
- Look at the money with you, and point you towards the funding, benefits and grants you may be entitled to.
- Tell you honestly if we do not cover your village, on the first call rather than the third.
If a discharge date has landed at Leighton, call us on 01625 720157. You can also send an enquiry, and you can check the areas we cover.
Authored by Dr Niall Jawad, Managing Director, Visiting Angels Cheshire East.
Published 27 September 2026. Last updated 27 September 2026.
This article is general information about hospital discharge and care funding, not medical, legal or financial advice. Hospital processes, services and provider coverage change; check the current position with the ward and the council. Visiting Angels Cheshire East provides personal care at home rather than medical or nursing care. To the fullest extent permitted by law, GB Care at Home Ltd accepts no liability for any loss arising from reliance on this article.
