Previous posts on this subject at http://breathingforlife.vforums.co.uk/News/603/hospital-weekends


Health secretary Andrew Lansley's plans to change the way hospitals are run at weekends

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/9047257/Health-secretary-Andrew-Lansleys-plans-to-change-the-way-hospitals-are-run-at-weekends.html

NHS trusts would be left to decide whether they wants to pass on the money to doctors, nurses and other staff prepared to work on Saturdays and Sundays.

I take it that's a no then.

Hospital patients more at risk at weekends,

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/feb/03/hospital-patients-risk-weekends

Seven-day NHS 'unaffordable' says BMA

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9165617/Seven-day-NHS-unaffordable-says-BMA.html

Time to end the scandal of our 9-to-5 NHS: 'It's outrageous patients suffer because my colleagues refuse to give up their weekends,' says top A&E doctor

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2140950/NHS-Patients-suffer-A-E-staff-refuse-weekends.html#ixzz1uHAuLrIo

A leading surgeon has rubbished the idea that tired doctors cannot function properly as he criticised regulations that mean junior medics are not allowed to work longer than 48 hours a week.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9250518/Top-surgeon-says-48-hour-week-damages-doctors-training.html

Death rates at NHS hospitals increase when junior doctors start their jobs, in what a senior health service official described as a “killing season”.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9350659/New-junior-doctor-rules-will-stop-NHS-killing-season.html

Hundreds of people die or suffer serious disability unnecessarily every year because they suffer a stroke at a weekend when NHS care is poorer, a major study has found

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9387023/Hundreds-die-from-strokes-at-weekends-because-of-poorer-NHS-care-study.html

One in eight doctors does not think hospitals provide high-quality care at weekends and “catastrophes” are feared on wards because staff cover is so poor.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9415058/Doctors-fear-catastrophes-on-hospital-wards-at-weekends.html

Coroners have issued a record numbers of recommendations to hospitals in order to prevent future patient deaths.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9565522/Coroners-make-record-number-of-recommendations-to-NHS.html

Seriously ill patients are being put at risk on NHS wards because not enough consultant doctors are working at nights or weekends, according to a report on how to achieve better seven-day-a-week care.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9600165/Lack-of-weekend-NHS-consultants-risking-patients-lives.html

Patients need safe care 24 hours a day, seven days a week
Fire services do not operate with slimmed down crews on Saturdays and Sundays, so why should hospitals?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/healthcare-network/2012/oct/16/patients-need-safe-care-24-7

Patients with liver disease are up to 42% more likely to die' if admitted to hospital at the weekend

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2218599/Hospital-patients-liver-disease-42-likely-die-admitted-weekends.html#ixzz29UtkGioT

Hospital death rates jump at the weekend, according to health research firm

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9613136/Hospital-death-rates-jump-at-the-weekend-according-to-health-research-firm.html

NHS 'should operate seven days a week'

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/nhs-should-operate-seven-days-a-week-8421162.html

Surgeons and GPs should take a lesson from Tesco and give patients a full service of operations and scans at weekends, an NHS chief has said.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9748905/Learn-from-Tesco-to-work-seven-days-a-week-doctors-told.html

Dr Sarah Jarvis says plans to provide routine NHS services seven days a week could put pressure on costs and make life more difficult for GPs who are already working very long days.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9752352/NHS-weekend-working-plans-could-put-staff-under-pressure-says-GP.html

Junior staff work weekends which is the reason why senior staff want the 120 hour week back for junior doctors.
If the juniors are working more hours than it is safe to drive for with a lorry, it is hard to see beyond senior consultants that that want to do more private work and less at where they are contracted to be

More people die over the Christmas holidays with deaths at their highest on New Year’s Day, it can be revealed, as the NHS festive shutdown is thought to be to blame

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9741807/More-die-over-Christmas-holidays-and-New-Year.html

The NHS must provide routine services seven days a week in order to be 'patient centred, compassionate and convenient', Sir Bruce Keogh, the medical director, has said.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9885102/NHS-must-operate-seven-days-a-week-in-order-to-be-compassionate-Sir-Bruce-Keogh-has-said.html

Top consultant warns against routine surgery at weekends

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/top-consultant-warns-against-routine-surgery-at-weekends-8505822.html

NHS consultants enter talks over working weekends

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/10214726/NHS-consultants-enter-talks-over-working-weekends.html

Why the NHS must not go back to the bad old days of exhausted doctors

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/aug/04/nhs-must-not-back-exhausted-doctors

Toddler who died in hospital 'had no heart test as it was the weekend'

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/10247761/Toddler-who-died-in-hospital-had-no-heart-test-as-it-was-the-weekend.html

'I would worry if my family was taken to hospital at weekends': NHS boss admits he is concerned about staffing levels
Keith Willett, is NHS England director of acute episodes of care
He said that there was a 'vulnerability' in hospitals over the weekend
He added routine surgery should be carried out on Saturday and Sunday


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2468613/I-worry-family-taken-hospital-weekends-NHS-boss-admits-concerned-staffing-levels.html#ixzz2iLT9bXJv

Seven-day NHS could lead to changes in care standards
Reorgansied health services might mean better specialist care

http://www.theguardian.com/healthcare-network/2013/nov/15/seven-day-nhs-care-standards

NHS plan to make hospital admissions at weekends safer for patients
Consultants could block plans to end situation in which weekend admissions have higher risk of dying than weekday patients

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/dec/13/nhs-plan-weekend-admissions-safer-patients

Weekend hospital care: 'Seven-day week' for senior doctors
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25381319

Why this is the most DANGEROUS time of the year: Death rates peak on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and at New Year

Highest death rates are on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day
Includes increase in deaths from cancer and circulatory problems
The figures hold true for all age groups except for children
Trend could be caused by stress, overindulgence or cold weather
But, researchers think it's most likely to be due to reduced access to healthcare and short staffed hospitals


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2528881/Why-DANGEROUS-time-year-Death-rates-peak-Christmas-Day-Boxing-Day-New-Year.html#ixzz2ofgbNR1q

Stroke victim turned away from hospital because it was '5pm on a Friday

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/john-mallalieu-dies-stroke-victim-2957224#ixzz2orCBABmk

NHS cannot afford 'utopia' of seven day a week appointments, doctors say

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/nhs/10921174/NHS-cannot-afford-utopia-of-seven-day-a-week-appointments-doctors-say.html