Operation on a Friday? Why patients are 24% more likely to die if they have to recuperate in hospital at the weekend
- - Major survey found patients more likely to die after Friday operation
- - Lack of staff and fewer tests being done contributed to problem
- - Majority of hospital doctors said weekend care was worse than weekdays
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Patients who have operations on a Friday are 24 per cent more likely than those who have surgery during the week because of poor weekend care.
A major survey by statistics firm Dr Foster has shown that weekend patients are less likely to get treatment, less likely to have tests done, and are less likely to have follow-up surgery within two days.
A poll of 5,500 doctors contained in the survey revealed that 68 per cent believe weekend patients receive a poorer standard of care.
A major survey has found that patients who have surgery on a Friday are 24 per cent more likely to die because of poor weekend care
Poor access to tests was a factor uncovered in the study, with 42 per cent fewer MRI scans being done on weekends, and 40 per cent fewer endoscopies - where a camera on a metal tube is inserted into the body.
The report also found that 68 per cent of doctors believed weekend care was worse than weekday care
Eight trusts were named as having higher death rates at the weekend than on weekdays, including Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust, which is currently at the centre of a scandal involving waiting times for cancer patients.
Trusts in Doncaster and Bassetlaw and East Kent were among those who had the most patients returning after being discharged, while another eight were singled out for patients waiting longer for a hip transplant, including the East and North Hertfordshire trust.
The study showed that, overall, those admitted on either Saturday or Sunday had a 20 per cent higher chance of dying, and a 4 per cent chance of having to be readmitted to the emergency room after being discharged.
Dr Foster director of research Roger Taylor said: 'We have now looked at many different aspects of quality of care. Every indicator we look at shows that patients who come to hospitals on weekends get worse care and worse outcomes.
'We are pleased that the NHS has made addressing this issue a priority and there is evidence that these efforts are already starting to yield benefits for patients with shorter waits for operations at weekends and, in some cases, lower mortality rates.'
King's College Hospital (pictured) was among the best for weekend mortality rates, while Colchester Hospital was among the worst
The report had good news for Londoners, however, as six of the eight hospitals with the lowest mortality rates for both weekday and weekend were in the capital, including Guy's and St Thomas's, Imperial and King's College.
The findings come as medical director Professor Sir Bruce Keogh prepares to publish his report on seven-day working in the NHS.
THE BEST OF THE TRUSTS
Higher weekend death rates:
Colchester Hospital
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals
Mid Cheshire Hospitals
Northumbria Healthcare
Nottingham University Hospitals,
Royal Berkshire
Royal Devon and Exeter
United Lincolnshire Hospitals
Most patients readmitted:
Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals
East Kent Hospitals
Mid Staffordshire
Poole Hospital
University Hospital of North Staffordshire
Warrington and Halton Hospitals
Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh
Patients waiting longer to have a broken hip repaired:
Bradford Teaching Hospitals
East and North Hertfordshire
Imperial College Healthcare
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals
University Hospitals Birmingham
THE WORST OF THE TRUSTS
Lowest mortality rates:
Airedale
Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals
Guy’s and St Thomas’
Guy’s and St Thomas’
Imperial College Healthcare
King’s College Hospital
North West London Hospitals
Royal Free London
University College London Hospitals
Lowest redmission rates:
Airedale
Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
Leeds Teaching Hospitals
Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals
University Hospitals Bristol
Shortest wait times for a broken hip:
Shortest wait times for a broken hip:
East Sussex Healthcare
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals
North Bristol
Northumbria Healthcare
Royal Surrey County Hospital
Surrey and Sussex Healthcare
The Dudley Group
The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals
West Suffolk
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