[nomadking]

Originally Posted by TheDaddy

Increasing it to 7 without putting any extra cash in isn't credible either, if we want a 7 day nhs we should be prepared to pay for it but considering iirc 10% of doctor vacancies haven't been filled I wouldn't hold your breath.

Nothing to really do with the new contract.

Costs of implementing seven day services vary. In the two London trusts the standards for those services examined are already largely being met because of past investments. In most of the other trusts in the sample, the costs of implementing seven day services are typically 1.5% to 2% of total income or, expressed another way, a 5% to 6% addition to the cost of emergency admissions.
• Given the small sample and the apparent lower need for investment in London it is hard to calculate a potential cost for the English NHS as a whole. It is also likely that seven day services would progress best by local negotiation and carried out at varying speeds, partly because trusts start from different positions but also considering the wider system change likely to be necessary.

Investment at the ‘front-end’ of the hospital (accident and emergency departments and admissions units with supporting diagnostics) can pay for itself in some trusts, by reducing unnecessary admissions and shortening lengths of stay. Two trusts in the sample, Salford Royal and Chesterfield, are examples of this. Payment by Results (PBR) rules were often set aside so that both the hospital and its commissioners could benefit from reducing admissions, where planned changes reduced the ‘net cost’ to the local NHS.
• Investment in seven day services after admission is unlikely to be cost-neutral in most trusts under the present configuration of services. However, it is fair to conclude from this small study that the move to seven day services does appear achievable, but it may be too expensive and unsustainable for all existing hospitals to move all their current range of services to a seven day basis. Reconfiguration of services may substantially reduce the cost, but this has not been tested in this research.

The Prime Minister has announced details of a new, voluntary contract for GPs to deliver 7-day care for all patients by 2020. He has also unveiled proposals to deliver 7-day hospital services across half the country by 2018. These are the next steps in making England the first country in the world to provide a truly 7-day health service, underpinned by a strong economy and £10 billion of investment in the NHS. The plans are a key part of the government’s commitment to deliver security, stability and opportunity for the British people.

The government is also committing £750 million over the next 3 years to fund improvements in premises, technology and modern ways of working, such as supporting federations and larger practices in providing 7-day services through a flexible range of face-to-face, telephone, email and Skype consultations.

These concerns have led to calls for better service models in hospitals at the weekend from Health Education England, the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, the Royal College of Physicians, and the Royal College of Surgeons with the aim of not only improving patient outcomes but also to enrich the training of the next generation of NHS doctors.
The problem of diluted services and poorer outcomes at the weekend is NOT unique to the NHS. In fact, as the largest and most comprehensive health service in the world, the NHS is well positioned to solve the issue. There are encouraging examples of NHS organisations that have moved to making healthcare services more accessible seven days a week to avoid compromising safety and patient experience. These moves have been strongly supported by the main professional bodies and the media