23.07.14
Let’s get past the rhetoric of seven-day services
Sir Bruce Keogh, NHS England’s national clinical director, has once again stated that the provision of seven-day services across the NHS is his “number one priority”.
During an NHS Improving Quality event in London, representatives of the 13 Early Adopter communities set up as part of the ‘7-Day Service Improvement Programme’ shared how they are improving access to services on every day of the week.
Delegates were given an insight into their work and were able to share and learn from improvements that have been effective in organisations
Gavin Boyle, chief executive of Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said that while being at the start of a journey, it’s been a huge challenge to provide consistent care for patients across the week.
He added: “If you have worked in the health service for any length of time you will know there is a difference at weekends, and this is a chance for us to put it right. Seven day services matters – it’s the right thing to do.”
We know at NHE that facilitating this ‘right’ move across the NHS will take time, and it is good to hear that progress is being made in some of the early adopting trusts. However, surely, we have to get beyond the rhetoric and actually start implementing and delivering.
Sir Bruce did state that “The two how questions are: how much is this going to cost? And how are we going to do it? The answers are beginning to emerge.”
He also conceded that different answers would emerge in rural and metropolitan areas and said there was ambition and pride for the NHS and its workforce, as well as for patients, in “doing the right thing”.
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