The Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) has published a new policy paper on seven-day care in the NHS. The RCS believes the risk of death is higher for some groups of patients admitted to hospital at the weekend. In many hospitals the levels of staffing and access to diagnostics are worse for all patients including those requiring emergency treatment over the weekend periods.
President of the Royal College of Surgeons, Miss Clare Marx, said: “It is clear that patients that need treating at the weekend are less likely to be seen by the right mix of junior and senior staff and experience reduced access to diagnostics. Many doctors and NHS staff already work at nights and weekends and they should be valued and thanked for continuing to provide care during those unsocial hours. However, the evidence shows that this is not currently standard practice even in high risk emergency care. This has to change. A recent audit of patients needing emergency bowel surgery demonstrated that both consultant surgeons and anaesthetists were present for just 41% of operations after midnight. The same study showed that some of the sickest patients were undergoing their surgery at this time.
“Given finite NHS resources, the focus should be on reducing mortality and therefore improving urgent and emergency care and services for those patients already in hospital at the weekend.” To access the policy paper, visit: www.rcseng.ac.uk/policy/documents/ rcs-7-day-care-briefing-2015-final.pdf
