NHS group to consider weekend services...

BertieUK

The setting up of the group follows research that suggests patients are more likely to die if they are admitted to hospital over the weekend.

Being a Pensioner this news instills me with great confidence...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20748345

leveller2911

BertieUK wrote: »

The setting up of the group follows research that suggests patients are more likely to die if they are admitted to hospital over the weekend.

Being a Pensioner this news instills me with great confidence...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20748345

I'm having an OP on my hand next Sat so I won't bother paying any bills till I'm out.....

Cheers for the info,made my day.........;)

BertieUK

But the board has said it will not be forcing doctors to work weekends.


Of course there is a wide range of variability to this answer. Surgeons in general work longer hours because they not only have to attend to the office but also to surgery. Some doctors like ER docs work shifts so they work the same amount each week. Once you are in private practice you can work as hard and long as you wish but I would guess that most doctors work 40-50hours/week.


I read of a Heart Surgeon who said...


I am a heart surgeon and I work on average 60 hours/week. I have worked 120 hrs in a week but never less than50.

Working 120 hours, as stated leaves less than 7 hours left for other activities eating-sleeping etc. That sounds like a full stressful way to earn a living.

antrobus

BertieUK wrote: »

The setting up of the group follows research that suggests patients are more likely to die if they are admitted to hospital over the weekend.

Being a Pensioner this news instills me with great confidence...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20748345

That's because all the consultants are off playing golf at the weekend.

You're also more likely to die if you are admitted to hospital in August. It's best to wait a bit and allow the new intake of juniors to get a bit of practice in first.

Listerbelle

antrobus wrote: »

That's because all the consultants are off playing golf at the weekend.

Tongue in cheek? Otherwise what a ridiculous statement. Consultants already work weekends - often doing longer hours than during the week, and sometimes doing two ward rounds. In on the wards at 8am until 2pm, back at 6pm until 9pm. The interim time doing paperwork or operations.

And for those who are not working, some of them are just like regular users on here

antrobus wrote: »

You're also more likely to die if you are admitted to hospital in August. It's best to wait a bit and allow the new intake of juniors to get a bit of practice in first.

Now this I agree with somewhat. Although a junior doctor is anyone who is not a Consultant, so includes some doctors with more than a decade's work experience. August is a nightmare more because of new teams and new workplaces than lack of experience. "Just pop this person on the emergency list" is a task that might take 30 minutes when you are new to the workplace, and 3-6 minutes when you are familiar with it.

Listerbelle

The idea of a hospital being run on the weekends in the same manner as a usual weekday makes sense on many levels. (Note: that's hospitals, not GPs)

The real problem with weekends is the lack of access to investigations.

It's not just that 40% more doctors will be required. It would be 40% more nurses, 40% more pharmacists, porters, pharmacists, lab technicians, imaging dept practitioners, phlebotomists, cardiology techs, receptionists etc.

The numbers of med school places have recently been cut.

Changes to visas rules for foreign grads making it harder for them to come here.

Slashing of training program numbers - those who do meet the visa regulations understandably have little to no desire to immigrate to become rota fodder.

And then we have various issues surrounding no increases in pay for several years, pension contributions increasing and benefits decreasing "because you are doctors" when other public service professionals are not subjected to this. And then add in the recent increased tax banding and increases in subscription rates for organisations we must belong to legally.

It's a non-starter in my eyes, and certainly wont happen in this decade.

Edit: I forgot to mention childcare concerns. It can be difficult to find childcare - certainly affordable childcare on weekends. Many NHS employees work Mon-Fri currently, changes to their working days could create great difficulties for them

MacMickster

Listerbelle wrote: »

It's not just that 40% more doctors will be required. It would be 40% more nurses, 40% more pharmacists, porters, pharmacists, lab technicians, imaging dept practitioners, phlebotomists, cardiology techs, receptionists etc.

This is the problem. They aren't going to pump any more money into the NHS because there is no more money. All that this proposal will do is spread the working hours of many staff over 7 days instead of 5. There will be no more actual work done.

Andy_L

Listerbelle wrote: »

And then we have various issues surrounding no increases in pay for several years, pension contributions increasing and benefits decreasing "because you are doctors" when other public service professionals are not subjected to this.

Which other public sector professionals haven't been subjected to "no increases in pay for several years, pension contributions increasing and benefits decreasing"?

BertieUK

MacMickster wrote: »

This is the problem. They aren't going to pump any more money into the NHS because there is no more money. All that this proposal will do is spread the working hours of many staff over 7 days instead of 5. There will be no more actual work done.

Would that not then make the weekends much safer for those patients admitted into Hospital?

Listerbelle

Andy_L wrote: »

Which other public sector professionals haven't been subjected to "no increases in pay for several years, pension contributions increasing and benefits decreasing"?

MPs, off the top of my head.... slightly fuzzy brained, off to start my 3rd of three nights in 35 mins

MacMickster

BertieUK wrote: »

Would that not then make the weekends much safer for those patients admitted into Hospital?

It may well do due to the increased numbers of staff present, but conversely, they would be less safe Monday to Friday as there would be fewer staff present on those days and they would inevitably be more stretched.