Why can't the NHS provide 'routine' service 7 days a week?

Question

It really annoys me that apart from emergencies, it grinds to a halt at 5pm on Friday until Monday morning.

Answer 1

Don't you think people should have weekends off?

I'm getting a bit fed up with this 24 hour culture 7 days a week.  It is adding to stress levels because many people think they are not allowed to have 'down time' or chill-out time'

Anyway the NHS can't afford to pay more people that it would need to do what you want.

Answer 2

The cost of running routine services at the weekends is why they don't do it, the additional staffing, maintenance, power/lighting etc all adds up, the staffing isn't just to operate it either, you also then need someone senior e.g. Registrar's and a Consultant to review and report on them otherwise there's no point having the service running. The other point to make is that quite a lot of people who attend their A&E deparments are not really in need of Emergency care and could quite easily be managed via their GP but because of our culture of not wanting to wait (not once we've decided to do someting about it), our A&E waiting areas are full of people waiting for hours and complaining about it.

The same question could be asked of Banks/Building Societies, Opticians and Dentists etc.  The majority of wards remain open, 24/7 365 days a year, the cleaners are still cleaning at weekends, the porters are still working their socks off portering, the only areas that aren't in full operation are still providing a service.  I'm sorry people get annoyed, more annoying if the emergencies were made to wait because of routine things though, don't you think?

Answer 3

Maybe it's due to the volume of drunken aholes filling A and E between these times

Answer 4

I dont grind to a halt working nights shifts all weekend as a nurse

and does your job provide 7 days a week 24 hour a day service?

we havent got enough money for 5 dyas a week full service!

Answer 5

If you were only on £100,000 salary would you be happy to work weekends? just to keep patients happy with no further financial incentive

Answer 6

they observe the sabat, besides they have no interns they can let slave over the weekend.