The True Story Behind Jeremy Hunt 21 January 2016 at 3:27PM in Campaigns corner 7 replies 2.7K views

clarebeany

My name is Clare and I'm a Nurse.

There is an ongoing struggle between Jeremy Hunt / the Department of Health and Healthcare Professionals.

We can see the NHS we so love and NEED going slowly, privatised from the inside out to Jeremy Hunt and his conservative friends.

I just wanted to share with you a few pieces of information and the truth.

1) Jeremy Hunt is trying to cover up reports that prevent the true levels of 'staffing shortages' coming to light. (http://nursingnotes.co.uk/doh-suppressed-nice-guidelines-on-safe-staffing/)

2) The facts that you are more likely to die at a weekend are completely made up, numerous Universities and Professionals outside of healthcare have looked at his "figures" and proves it, yet he refuses to admit it. http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/is-jeremy-hunt-fiddling-the-figures-over-hospital-deaths-that-would-be-no-surprise-from-this-a6823086.html

3) We are not arguing over pay. We are arguing over working conditions and the fact that patients are being put at risk!!

If thinks carry on down this road, it won't be long before the NHS will be fully privatised.

Can you afford a stay in Intensive Care for your loved one? Insurance companies, as demonstrated in America, will do anything not to pay out.

I'm just concerns about the level of misinformation this government is providing to the general public!

C

mjm3346

From the left wing BBC

During the year studied, 15.9m patients were admitted to hospital and just over 290,000 - 1.8% - of them died within 30 days.
But when the data was broken down by day of admission a clear "weekend effect" was identified.
An admission on Fridays led to a 2% increased risk of death, on Saturdays it was 10%, on Sundays 15% and Mondays 5%, the study said

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-34150669


Not to say that's right either but the figures can be twisted almost any way you like and there is no more "truth" in the independent article than any other.

Torry_Quine

It's always been the case that patient outcomes are worse when admitted at the weekend.

Listerbelle

Torry_Quine wrote: »

It's always been the case that patient outcomes are worse when admitted at the weekend.

That's the usual line of thinking.

The data was recently broken down by various medics, which demonstrated *unt's statement about the weekend numbers to be completely fabricated.

DoI Former NHS hospital doc who chose to be a stay at home parent.

antrobus

Listerbelle wrote: »

That's the usual line of thinking.

That's because it's true.

The weekend effect is real
http://www.bmj.com/content/351/bmj.h4840

whiteslice

It seems to me that this are-you-more-likely-to-die-over-the-weekend question is detracting from the main issue at hand. You are probably the most likely to die over Christmas, whether we're talking private or public healthcare.

“it could be confusing for staff and the public if NICE were to release one piece of work on safe staffing now without any context and in isolation of any final guidance on safe staffing levels“

Confusing? Now how patronizing is that?

ThumbRemote

antrobus wrote: »

That's because it's true.

The weekend effect is real
http://www.bmj.com/content/351/bmj.h4840

Although it's a significantly more complex issue than most people would have you believe. There is no evidence that the difference in outcomes is down to staffing levels.

antrobus

ThumbRemote wrote: »

...There is no evidence that the difference in outcomes is down to staffing levels.

Yes there is. Read that BMJ article again.:)

The evidence is conflicting but seems to point more to the importance of a fully functioning service than to simply needing more senior medical cover. One study found no weekend effect on intensive care units, which have more consistent staffing levels. Another found that the weekend effect was not reduced if stroke specialists did ward rounds seven days a week but was affected by the level of nurse staffing. This link between nurse staffing and overall hospital mortality has been reproduced, says Aylin, in a recent very large European study.

Oddly enough, the BMA's objection to Hunt's cunning plan is that it involves doctors working more weekends. They appear to be quite happy to point to evidence that supports the idea of nurses working more weekends.

The OP is a nurse.:)