Search results

It was an emergency that required urgent quite complicated and specialist intervention, rather than surgery, which very nearly went wrong because there was no consultant cover in place in that hospital. The doctor who did the job, whilst being incredibly nice, competent and caring, struggled...

That doesn't chime with my personal experience at all.

Except that in the IT industry if senior managers and directors don't work at weekends there is no life and death risk to anyone. In the NHS, people are still getting unwell and having accidents at the weekends, so for consultants to not work those hours doesn't make any sense whatsoever.

This is a separate debate, but a lot of consultants won't be found on call or in the hospitals on a weekend.

An important underlying point is that whilst you do have access to emergency treatment 7 days a week, the level of care at weekends (including access to tests and consultants) is not the same as during the week. The fact that you're more likely to die if you're admitted at the weekend has got to...

Just as easily, the JDs could agree to further talks - and actually take a bit of time to summarise their grievances in a logical manner. It's very much a two-way street on this one, IMHO.

It's undoubtedly a very difficult situation, but I can't envisage being a healthcare professional and not going into work when I know there are patients relying on my presence there. IMHO, the JDs are really, really risking losing public support and sympathy by striking.

Both sides of this argument should take a long, hard look at themselves and how they are behaving - pretty shameful on both sides. As stated above, Hunt needs to withdraw his threat to impose the contract and the doctors need to call off their strikes and re-open talks with the government.