Mortality Rates High for Weekend Emergencies at NHS Hospitals

Weekends could be a bad time for emergency visits to NHS hospitals after a new study revealed that the risk of death was 10 percent greater when compared to visits during weekdays.

The report, titled The Hospital Guide, also underlined the lack of care available at NHS hospitals on the weekends. According to the report by Dr Foster Intelligence, the risk of deaths during emergency visits on weekends was 8.1 percent compared to 7.4 percent during the weekdays.

The report backed the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) contention that patients are not being cared for properly on the weekends.

RCP president Sir Richard Thompson said, "At last we have data that clearly links higher numbers of senior doctors in hospitals at the weekend with lower mortality rates. The findings of the Dr Foster report support the RCP's 2010 recommendation that any hospital admitting acutely ill patients should have a consultant physician on-site for at least 12 hours per day, seven days a week."


Source: Medindia