Category Archives: hospital
Hospital consultants should consider working weekends
Hospital doctors told to rethink weekend working
By Nick Triggle Health correspondent, BBC News
Hospital consultants should consider working weekends to cut the spike in deaths, a doctors’ leader says.
Dr Mark Porter, the British Medical Association’s consultants chairman, said the mounting evidence about the problem meant it was time for doctors to put themselves forward if needed.
He said it would not be necessary for every speciality or hospital, but it needed to be looked at case-by-case.
There is a wealth of research into higher mortality rates at weekends.
At the end of last year, the research company Dr Foster found mortality rates rose by 10% at weekends. Other studies have shown similar correlations.
Staffing – and in particular the presence or absence of senior doctors – has been highlighted as a key factor.
The Health Bill – ‘outright Opposition’
NHS plans: Unions move to ‘outright opposition’
By Nick Triggle Health correspondent, BBC News
The unions representing nurses and midwives have joined others in stating their “outright opposition” to the government’s NHS plans in England.
The Royal College of Nursing and the Royal College of Midwives had expressed concerns in the past, but said they were willing to work with ministers.
However, now they want the entire bill covering the changes to be dropped.
Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said the unions wanted to “have a go” at government about “pay and pensions”.
Hospitals feed patients on 90p a meal, official figures show
Age Concern says that for elderly people ‘missed meals in hospital can be as big a risk’
Some hospital trusts commit just £2.57 for each patient’s daily food and drink, according to the latest statistics, despite growing concern about poor nutrition on wards.
At least 30 hospital trusts, almost one in 10 of the total, spend less than £5 a day on breakfast, lunch and dinner for each person in their care.
The statistics, placed in the House of Commons Library this week, drew allegations from patients’ groups that nutritional standards are slipping as managers strive to save money.
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