Weekend hospital care: 'Seven-day week' for senior doctors

[Northerner]

Hospitals in England will have to ensure senior doctors and key diagnostic tests are available seven days a week under new plans.

The measures form part of a vision unveiled by NHS England to tackle the higher death rates at weekends.

The changes, proposed by medical director Prof Sir Bruce Keogh, will be applied to urgent and emergency services over the next three years.

But the cost and staffing implications have yet to be finalised.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25381319

Sounds great, but this is a massive undertaking and I still don't see where the money is going to come from, with this government effectively cutting support to the NHS year after year. If hospitals are already struggling then where are they going to find the staff and facilities - across the borad, not just doctors and nurses?

 

[Redkite]

Cheap imports from developing countries! ie. We won't pay a decent wage to these staff, so will attract people from abroad who are prepared to do the job for less (or maybe lower calibre staff), and the countries they come from will suffer a shortage of medical professionals. It's a great idea to have proper staffing 24/7, but great ideas need to have the ???s to go with them!

 

[Northerner]

Cheap imports from developing countries! ie. We won't pay a decent wage to these staff, so will attract people from abroad who are prepared to do the job for less (or maybe lower calibre staff), and the countries they come from will suffer a shortage of medical professionals. It's a great idea to have proper staffing 24/7, but great ideas need to have the ???s to go with them!

MP on Andrew Marr show reckons it can be paid for from within the existing budget. FGS, the existing service can't be paid for within the existing budget! 😱