High rates of deaths at weekends mean hospital consultants must start working on Saturdays and Sundays
Hospital consultants will be made to work weekends under radical plans to combat higher death rates on Saturdays and Sundays.
Under the £1billion proposal, routine minor surgery will also be available for conditions such as hernias along with blood and heart tests and biopsies.
X-ray, ultrasound, CT and MRI departments are to be kept open as part of the improved service.
Hospitals that fail to implement the changes could face huge fines.
Consultants will have the new hours written into their contracts to force through the plans.
It comes after it was revealed patients were up to 16% more likely to die in hospitals at weekends.
NHS medical chief Sir Bruce Keogh said: “It’s strange that we should wind down on a Friday and warm up on a Sunday while theatres are empty, outpatient clinics echo, diagnostic kit isn’t being used and people are waiting for treatment.”
Under Sir Bruce’s plans, within three years patients admitted as emergencies will see a consultant within 14 hours.
Those already on wards will be reviewed by a senior doctor every 24 hours and intensive care cases will be reviewed by one twice a day.
Hospitals currently rely on junior doctors for Saturdays and Sundays. But hospitals which refuse to employ consultants at weekends could barred from having trainees.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: “I want the NHS to provide seven-day services so more patients get the right care when they need it.”
The NHS Employers organisation welcomed the plans.
Chief executive Dean Royles said: “We are seeing health services develop services that anticipate and respond to patient needs, but all too often the terms and conditions of doctors get in the way of progress.”
Sir Bruce’s proposals will be put to NHS England on Tuesday.
Source: mirror
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