Views And Reviews
Acute Perspective
David Oliver: Consultant contracts and seven day services
BMJ 2016; 354 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.i4357 (Published 12 August 2016) Cite this as: BMJ 2016;354:i4357- David Oliver, consultant in geriatrics and acute general medicine
- Berkshire
- davidoliver372{at}googlemail.com
It’s a year since England’s health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, gave a speech linking his government’s promise of “truly seven day” NHS services with changes to contracts for the junior doctors and consultants supposed to enable this.1
He has suggested that a need for more “senior decision makers” (consultants) at evenings and weekends justified changes to trainees’ contracts. Meanwhile, however, the consultant contract has been on the back burner.2
As the NHS’s medical director, Bruce Keogh, has stated, Hunt further conflated issues by suggesting that contract changes were essential for delivering seven day services.3 More confusion …