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BMA backlash against government’s 24/7 NHS plans (5 January 2015)

Date: 05/01/2015
Duncan Lewis, Personal Injury Solicitors, BMA backlash against government’s 24/7 NHS plans

The British Medical Association (BMA) has said that making the NHS a 24/7 service could jeopardise patient safety.

The government has pledged to make NHS services more accessible and “work-friendly”, including GP surgeries staying open in the evening after working hours.

The government also wants routine surgery to take place at the weekend, with operating theatres remaining open on Saturdays and Sundays for routine surgical procedures.

NHS England’s National Medical Director, Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, pledged to make the NHS more accessible at weekends in 2013 – including opening up GP surgeries for appointments during weekends and out of office hours, to enable people to book an appointment with their GP without having to take time off work.

A&E departments are already operating 24/7 in some areas – with operating theatres available to deal with urgent trauma cases. Sir Bruce has suggested extending NHS care even further.

“If someone needs a day-case operation, why can’t they have that on Saturday, recover on Sunday and be back to work on Monday?” he has suggested.

However, extending NHS opening hours for routine surgical procedures to take place at weekends might place added pressures on NHS staff.

Many GP surgeries have already opted out of out-of-hours care and have contracted out-of-hours GP services to private healthcare providers.

The BMA has called the government’s plans to revolutionise the NHS and make it a 24/7 service “unfunded, undefined, unrealistic” – adding that the proposals would lead to more operations being cancelled during the week.

The BMA says keeping theatres open at the weekends and making the NHS a 24/7 service is “neither desirable nor feasible”.

The BMA has lodged its reservations about government plans for the NHS via the Doctors and Dentists Review Body (DDRB), which is responsible for advising ministers on doctors’ pay.

“Ill-thought through implementation could threaten both the standard of service patients receive and the viability of the service …” the BMA statement on the proposals reads.

“We believe that pursuing an ill-informed, seven-day service model would be at best wasteful for the NHS – and at worst threaten patient safety.”

Sir Bruce says, however, that he would like hospitals to be able to carry out X-rays and scans, such as ultrasound and MRI scans – as well as general surgery – at weekends.

He has also said that mental health and community care services should be made available as day and night services, if 24/7 NHS care is to be rolled out.

The BMA said, however:

“The BMA believes that – without significant resource investment – a seven-day service will not be possible without compromising and/or re-evaluating existing service provision in the NHS.

“There is a real risk that patient safety could be compromised in the week if the government attempts to implement seven-day services, without additional resource investment.”

Duncan Lewis Clinical Negligence Solicitors

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For expert legal advice on no win no fee Clinical Negligence Claims, call Duncan Lewis clinical negligence solicitors on 020 7923 4020.


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