howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
courtesy of the b.b.c. this confirms what most of us think.
Patients who are admitted to hospital at the weekend are more likely to die than those admitted during the week, according to a study.
Research company Dr Foster came to this conclusion after finding a 10% spike in deaths compared with weekdays across 147 hospital trusts.
It said some deaths could have been avoided with better staffing and access to services such as diagnostics.
Roger Taylor, co-founder and director of research at Dr Foster, said the findings were "very worrying".
Well duh. We have only been saying this for years.
Guest 656- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 2,262
Interesting reading your post above Howard, it was only yesterday when daughter Briony told me in no uncertain terms not to get ill on a Friday, ever. She is currently doing 12hr hospital shifts in London, apparently the Consultants are far too important to be called out at weekends and the Junior Doctors have to cope without them. If we unfortunately fall ill, it would be better if we could choose Monday to Thursday only
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
yes I heard this also on the radio this morning. Quite alarming. In my naivety I always assumed I would get looked after by the NHS even at the weekend should I have a sudden attack of palsy or something..but these new statistics tell a different story.
But isnt there also a problem in the evenings too? I remember the days you could call a doctor if you were ill at night and then guys would come out to you clutching their little black bags with various instruments and drugs etc. Not sure if that happens anymore though.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
evenings and weekends are the preserve of junior doctors and mostly disinterested nurses.
when i visited my late partner in the william harvey one saturday she was in clear agony, when i tracked down a nurse she was busy reading her "take a break" magazine. i explained the urgency of the situation so she rushed in 15 minutes later with a couple of paracetamol.
the board at the end of the bed clearly showed she was on morphine.
every person i have spoken to on the subject has similar experiences.
And still people say what a wonderful institution it is and resist changes. FFS
Guest 675- Registered: 30 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,610
It has a lot to do with how GP's are paid. They get an extra allowance for being "on-call" out of hours, however they now get more of an allowance as extra pay for keeping statistics on smokers and 'advising' them to quit (no follow up required just box ticking). They can also add to this by taking the blood pressure of diabetic patients, something GP's used to do routinely when you went in with a headache. Why be available in the evenings when you can earn more for ticking the right boxes while in your normal surgery hours?
Politics, it seems to me, for years, or all too long, has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong.
Richard Armour
It also has a lot to do with piss poor management of resources and a flaccid committment to patient care.
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,894
It also has a lot to do with some consultants thinking they are gods and only working when they really have to.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
My son inlaw is a consultant,and he and the others do work weekends,and at nights.
Most consultants will have some form of oncall rota but may not necesary be on site , another issue is diagnostic staff either run reduced staffing or are again only on call , The main issue may well be the use of e rostering , which is an online nursing staff rota sysytem , it is designed to ensure the cheapest staffing costs per shift , Weekend and night shifts atract a premium in extra pay rate , the system therefore tries to fill these shifts with the cheapest skill mix , ie those at the lowest end of the payscale so you have your most inexperienced staff on duty over these shifts ,which can be the most clinically taxing duties to work
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
that explains things sarah, it does seem to me that all the high quality staff work office hours.
True Howard !Thats because they are the cheapest payroll hours for them to work , but the actual cost of not having the more experienced staff working nights and weekends cant really be quantified . Its that old law of unexpected consequences in action again
As for Gps out of hours and weekend service blame the GP contract that came into force a few years ago
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,894
Going slightly sideways for the thread.
Since Pencester Health took over from Dr Jain, it seems to be pot luck who I see so I never build up a rapport with my 'own' doctor. As a result I seldom bother with doctors and only go when the surgery reminds me for my six monthly check up with the nurse, luckily my meds are on repeat prescription.
Speaking to others at different practices this system seems to be a common trend.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
I do not agree with any of the above,sorry but i do not.
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,894
Well that is what happens now Vic, I have no nominated doctor.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
i didn't think anyone did any more, mine is a different one every time.
they only have to press a few buttons on the computer to see what they need to know, then ask the usual questions and listen to the answers.
they have all seemed interested.
We are all registered with a specific GP however there is no guarentee that we can see that GP when we need to make an appointment . Most group pratices work like this
What exactly is it Vic doesn't agree with??!!