Seven day services must focus on care, not convenience, says NHS Confederation

The focus when introducing seven day NHS services must be on improving patient care rather than offering convenience, the NHS Confederation has said.

In a report published on 17 November,1 the NHS membership body said that seven day services should concentrate on patient outcomes.

“Implicit in media coverage of recent political announcements regarding seven-day services has been the focus on convenience for ‘patients,’” the report said. “Given the financial realities of the NHS and the wider system, our clear focus must be on those services which have the most impact in terms of outcomes for patients, rather than offering convenience.”

The NHS Confederation said that it was important to make clear to the public that, owing to cost implications, future seven day services would not mean that “NHS services will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

“The priority must be on urgent care first, with a consideration of extending routine care second,” it advised. “We must communicate this ambition clearly to the public and ensure that [there] is no room for confusion.”

The report also emphasised that the public should understand that implementing seven day services could negatively affect other aspects of health and care services. “Everything open, all of the time, is not the solution,” it warned. “What is needed is careful consideration of the right balance of services across all seven days, with a strong initial focus on emergency and critical care.”

The confederation also urged the government to be clear about how much seven day services would cost and how they would be funded. It concluded, “There would appear little point improving access to NHS care at the weekend, if there is insufficient capacity and resources to support people to return home on Saturday and Sunday.”