Legal Experts React To New Study

Specialist medical negligence lawyers have urged the Government and NHS to work together to improve weekend service in hospitals, after new research highlighted that patients admitted into hospital on a weekend are more likely to die. 

The study by a team from the University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trusts and University College London found that around 11,000 more people die every year within 30 days of admission to hospital on Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday compared with other days of the week. 

According to Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, the report presents a real “wake-up call” and the figures suggest the current situation with NHS weekend service is worse than initially thought. 

He added: "That's why we urgently need to modernise the contracts for new consultants to make sure NHS patients do not have to worry about a lack of senior clinical presence if they are admitted to hospital on a Saturday or Sunday." 

Responding to the figures, Julie Lewis, Partner and Medical Negligence expert , said: