Nhs Consultants

[El Cid]

21 minutes ago, Anna B said:

 

People get sick 24/7, so shouldn't hospitals work 24/7 as well? They all but close down at the weekends and everything stops.

There is a shortage of staff in the NHS, waiting times in AE are astronomical, never seen before.

There should be enough staff, but NHS staff are international and their wages have dropped behind other countries.

[Thorpist]

Like everything else things have to be paid for. Employing consultants plus all the ancillary staff to manage the work 24/7 seven days a week is just not going to happen .

The NHS do the best they can with the resources available.

Of course things can be improved and done more efficiently but that is true of all /nearly all services

Edited July 2, 2022 by Thorpist

[Annie Bynnol]

8 hours ago, Anna B said:

Nobody is expecting them to work 7 days a week. It'd p'haps work out at one weekend in four when they'd  get 2 days off in the week. In other words, on rotation, like millions of other workers do who have to work weekends. 

 

People get sick 24/7, so shouldn't hospitals work 24/7 as well? They all but close down at the weekends and everything stops.

I regularly attend very different kinds of outpatients at RHH and NGH and have access to hospital facilities at both 24/7 if needed. My appointments are planned in advance and can be brought forward by me if necessary.

 

Your anecdotal evidence is again at variance with the normal.

 

Do you know what working 24/7 means? That is 168 hours a week.

That is -simply  21 shifts  X 8 hours a week- that's three times the current staffing level.

We can't even staff one shift without considerable voluntary and paid overtime and the resulting cancellations and extending waiting lists.

You are confusing three things:.

1 Working weekends 8-4 

2 Working 24/7

3 Current role of having responsibility for inpatients 24/7, outpatients on 5 days, teaching, research,  learning, supervision etc. 

4 That the services that a Consultant relies on are operated at the same level at weekends- they are not.

 

Add to that you seem unaware of:

• the range and type of medical services provided by Consultants.
• the difference between becoming sick, investigating sickness, managing sickness, possible treatments, care plans etc. 
• the differences between hospitals in the services they provide, many don't need to be open 24/7.
• that on top of A&E there are  departments in hospitals that are open or available 24/7 for people to be helped. 
• that there are hundreds of staff on call 24/7 to deal with emergencies.
• your luck in living in Sheffield with its major regional hospitals, services and expertise.

Your plan would dilute the weekday service, cost more in overtime, destabilize the whole machine as the whole 'back office' and 'back up services' would have to be extended to work and be unavailable during the week, loss of efficiency etc.

 

 

 

[Longy67]

Strange, it's saturday morning and I've already seen 3 consultants on our department that does work 24/7...🤔

[Dromedary]

Although not specifically about consultants this new Health and Care Bill came into force yesterday so may help make a difference across the board, so to speak.

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-improve-health-and-social-care-for-all/integration-and-innovation-working-together-to-improve-health-and-social-care-for-all-html-version

 

And a bit in the news about it, sorry but is a Sky report so some bits hyped out of proportion!

 

https://news.sky.com/story/nhs-shake-up-could-see-blood-pressure-checks-in-betting-shops-12643497

[hackey lad]

50 minutes ago, dan_999uk said:

As I pointed out in the very first reply, consultants do work weekends. The entire thread is based on a fallacy. 

Was just going to develop into another government bashing thread and the OP  knows it 

[Longy67]

1 hour ago, dan_999uk said:

As I pointed out in the very first reply, consultants do work weekends. The entire thread is based on a fallacy. 

That was my point.

[El Cid]

6 hours ago, hackey lad said:

Was just going to develop into another government bashing thread and the OP  knows it 

I guess we should just blame the pandemic, this government is great  lol

Edited July 2, 2022 by El Cid

[Guest]

I know personally one NHS hospital consultant and she works weekends like many others. Post based on no evidence. 

Edited July 3, 2022 by Guest

[Anna B]

On 02/07/2022 at 14:43, dan_999uk said:

As I pointed out in the very first reply, consultants do work weekends. The entire thread is based on a fallacy. 

Explain the empty hospital then. Not a one off.  I do a lot of hospital visiting, and every weekend is the same. The hospital grinds to a halt. They've even started sending long term patients home, off the wards at weekends, and have them return on Monday. 

 

Explain why clinics are not held at the weekends. People are dying while on long long waiting lists.

 

I can appreciate that staffing levels are inadequate for 24/7 but that can and should be remedied.  Hospitals are an essential service.

 

Edited July 3, 2022 by Anna B