The NHS

I find in very amusing that the government expected consultants at the local hospitals to work weekends, it is very sad to say that there is a lack of care at the weekend, I have seen one nurse trying to cope with a whole ward on a Sunday, as soon as consultants go off shift on Friday you as a patient are at risk, you are likely to be looked after by an agency nurse rather than regular staff, but week ends are not the only time this is likely to happen, hospitals just do not seem able to hold on to staff, many are working for agencies because they get far more for a shift than if the were contracted to the hospital as staff, back to the week end, your consultant is at home your well being is in the hands of the junior doctors who with the best will in the world are not quite up to full speed so your care can lapse, you might become sicker or you might be lucky and survive, the only way for patients to get harm free care is if hospitals open fully seven days a week I mean not just clinical staff but everyone working for the hospital, some work weekends but the majority of admin support have every weekend off, good luck to them, but that does not help the patient safety, there is of course a fly in the ointment cost!!, just how with all the cuts government are imposing can the NHS keep up? I have to say there is not a hope in hell, at the rate we are cutting back the health service will go backwards not forwards, maybe it is time for a small tax rise to ensure this service is to be free for the future, or are we going to let is sink without trace??.