Should doctors work at the weekend?

[ricgem2002]

I'm just trying to find out what you think 7 day working means?

 

Imagine that there are more doctors working, I guess we mean in hospitals since GP services are under utilised at weekends. We then also need all the support staff to work as well.

Where is the money coming from to pay them? Or do you propose to reduce the number of week hours in order to just spread the service out?

 

Edit - not aimed at JFK

cant we just employ more doctors out of the fees these agency working doctors charge for working weekends . just think of the money we could save

[smilersarah]

No. I'm self employed, my wife is a chartered engineer, my friends are solicitors, lecturers, psychologists, doctors, research scientists, and many in different IT areas.

Very few work weekends, very few work overtime.

I haven't worked overtime in about 4 years, and when I do work it, every minute is billed to the client.

 

well good for you, i also have similar friends in similar roles and all of them at some point work weekends, solicitors reading over briefs, architects seeing private clients, lecturers doing private talks, doctors on call etc etc so most people do at some point so why not GPS?

[truman]

 

If you get an acute condition that can't wait, there is already cover in the form of A&E. Or did you imagine that you had to hold on until Monday and hope you'd survive?

 

Isn't that the issue though? Fewer consultants on at a weekend..aren't they saying that the stats seem to show that you've more chance of dying if you're admitted on a weekend than if you were admitted for the same illness/accident during the week?

[Cyclone]

The stats show an affect, I don't think that any cause has actually been established. Which hasn't stopped the government jumping to a conclusion.

[whiteowl]

I think everyone should work 7 days a week. Apart from me obviously

[Eater Sundae]

It seems to be that the Government are talking about specialists in types of care that can make the difference between life and death for some patients.

 

We are not talking about A & E specialists, who react to whatever arrives at the hospital, but the next stage of treatment for specific ailments which will require a specialist in that ailment to be in charge of the patient's treatment.

 

In my opinion, if a statistically large and identifiable group of people who get ill at weekends are at risk due to lack of a specialist who is only available 9 to 5 Monday to Friday, then the Government are correct in trying to fill that gap.

 

I don't see that this is anything to do with GPs, or with the majority of care which is not immediately life threatening, but to a range of specialisms.

 

The Government have chosen to take an aggressive approach, which is sure to get people's backs up, but the bottom line is that if there is a gap in care which is allowing avoidable deaths, then we should look to close that gap.

 

Police, Ambulances, Fire Brigades and A & E itself are available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, because without them more people will die. If some parts of hospital are the same, then they should be available all the time, also.

[Cyclone]

For example

 

While the study has found a pattern relating to admission day and the risk of dying, the reasons for this are unknown and it should not be assumed that the pattern is due to staffing levels or the availability of senior staff. There could be various reasons for the relationship. For example, it may be that people who need to see the doctor and be admitted on a weekend have more severe illness than people who would wait until the following Monday to be admitted.

It seems likely that people who aren't severely ill wait until Monday. Those who MUST be admitted at the weekend are on average, already more likely to die from the problem than those who wait.

 

---------- Post added 17-07-2015 at 09:46 ----------

 

In my opinion, if a statistically large and identifiable group of people who get ill at weekends are at risk due to lack of a specialist who is only available 9 to 5 Monday to Friday, then the Government are correct in trying to fill that gap. but the bottom line is that if there is a gap in care which is allowing avoidable deaths, then we should look to close that gap.

 

Faulty analysis, pushed by the government because they have an agenda to private the NHS.

 

See my previous post as to a more likely explanation for the difference in death rate.

 

(The deaths by the way are not at the time of admission, but within 30 days of it, and Wednesday is the day you are actually most likely to die on, perhaps we should increase staffing levels on Wednesday? Or just remove it from the week entirely...)

[Magilla]

oh dear is that your best:o

 

It seemed the most appropriate due to your staggering childishness.

 

You lied to make a point & got caught out. Any normal person would fess up, but you revert to being a child!

 

You do realise that having to lie to make your point somewhat undermines the point you were trying to make?

Edited July 17, 2015 by Magilla

[smilersarah]

It seemed the most appropriate due to your staggering childishness.

 

You lied to make a point & got caught out. Any normal person would fess up, but you revert to being a child!

 

You do realise that having to lie to make your point somewhat undermines the point you were trying to make?

 

its clear to all! your childishness resorting to insults but hey lets get back on topic:roll:

[Magilla]

its clear to all! your childishness resorting to insults but hey lets get back on topic:roll:

 

If being called a liar when you clearly are one (and is plain for all to see in this very thread) is an insult, then so be it.

 

Again, you do realise that having to lie to make your point somewhat undermines your point?

 

You would think that someone who had to work 7 days a week wouldn't have time to waste on a forum, but hey....

 

Yes, lets get back on topic. You claimed you worked 7 days a week and then only 7 days a month. Which is it?

Edited July 17, 2015 by Magilla