Doctors discussed the barriers that exist to delivering quality care, at the What’s A Doctor Worth? BMA event which was undertaken to inform contract negotiations.
Doctors at the event reported relentless pressure on consultation times; a tendency for patients to be shifted around wards, which could harm their satisfaction and outcomes; and outsourced administrative support, which meant that consultants had to proofread every letter sent out.
In one consultant’s words, there was a ‘strong argument’ for seven-day services in emergency and acute settings, although he questioned whether the higher mortality figures at weekends were the result of the case mix rather than staffing. He added that the idea put forward by some NHS leaders, that seven-day elective services could be provided with only a small increase in the overall budget, ‘made no sense’.
A junior doctor explained that the way the working-time regulations were being implemented in her Trust meant training opportunities were limited, as whole weeks tended to be focused on either clerking, clinics or time off.
