Hospital patients ‘more likely to die at weekends’

Patients who are admitted to hospital at the weekend are less likely to survive than those who receive treatment during the week, according to a report.

Research company Dr Foster's report on hospital performances and standards found that across 147 hospital trusts, weekends show a "worrying" ten percent spike in deaths when compared with weekdays.

The company's director of research and co-founder Roger Taylor said a shortage of senior staff on Saturdays and Sundays was at the root of the problem and that some deaths could be avoided if staff had access to better resources.

In an interview with the BBC, Mr Taylor noted that while junior doctors were often present, they were "not the ones making the difference", and called for experienced staff to be in place at the weekend.

"It's quite reasonable that patients and the public should take the view that it doesn't matter when I get ill, I still want to have the best possible service," he added.

NHS London recently echoed the views of the Dr Foster research, claiming that reduced service provision at weekends is the cause of the higher mortality rate on those days.