DH report: seven-day services need greater investment

The BMA's argument that expanding seven-day services needs more investment and staff has been vindicated by a leaked Government document, which claims 4,000 extra doctors will be needed to achieve such an aim. The draft Department of Health report backs up the association's consistent assertion, which is supported by research, that a 'seven-day NHS' is only possible with a significant increase in funding and staffing. A copy of the report, 'Seven-day NHS — update on progress and plans', seen by the Guardian, argues that community and social services are currently unable to support increased weekend discharges, and that 11,000 new clinical staff will need to be recruited to make seven-day services viable. Of this 11,000 new staff 4,000 would need to be doctors — 1,600 consultants, 1,500 registrars and 900 extra junior doctors.  The document also casts doubt on health secretary Jeremy Hunt's claim that a 'seven-day NHS' will reduce weekend mortality rates and suggests that there is insufficient evidence that increased numbers of consultants at weekends would result in fewer deaths. BMA council chair Mark Porter said the report confirmed many of the association’s long-held concerns on the details of the Government's plans.   Cynical portrayal He said: ‘The Government in recent months has cynically tried to portray doctors' contracts as a roadblock to a seven-day NHS when they already work around the clock, seven days a week, and do so unde...
Source: BMA News - Category: UK Health Source Type: news