London hospitals: Hundreds die 'due to weekend staffing'
"Stark" differences in consultant hours at weekends were identified Hundreds of people die every year in London due to a lack of hospital consultants available at weekends, according to NHS London.
A report from the strategic health authority showed there were more than 500 avoidable deaths in emergency care in the capital every year.
It found: "Reduced service provision at weekends is associated with this higher mortality rate."
Under the review, NHS trusts were asked to rate themselves on key indicators.
The report, Acute medicine and emergency general surgery - case for change, was compiled for NHS London in the spring.
It focused on the care adult patients receive on a general ward after being admitted for emergency treatment.
'Inadequate access'The review found: "If the weekend mortality rate in London was the same as the weekday rate, there would be around 520 fewer deaths."
It identified "stark" differences in consultant hours across the capital's hospitals at evenings and weekends.
Across London, consultant emergency general surgeons were on site for an average of four hours a day at the weekend, compared with 10 in the week.
The report said: "In London there is significant variation in the number of hours that a consultant is expected to be on site.
"There is inadequate access in almost a third of London's hospitals to an emergency theatre - this is detrimental to patient outcomes and can increase mortality and morbidity," it warned.
But John Appleby from The King's Fund, a charity which shapes NHS policy, said the reasons behind figures were much more complex than consultant cover alone.
However, he said: "Patients are entitled to expect high quality care whatever day of the week, or time that they are admitted and that includes safe levels of appropriate staffing."
