Jeremy Hunt statement on weekend hospital care is misleading, experts warn

Leading statisticians have cast serious doubt on Jeremy Hunt’s claim that in only 10% of hospitals are patients seen by a senior doctor within 14 hours of being admitted at a weekend, and described it as unfair, misleading and a gross underestimation.

NHS England has also distanced itself from the health secretary’s claim saying the evidence it has collected on hospitals’ performance in this area does not vindicate his interpretation.

The controversy over the accuracy of Hunt’s statement, which he made in parliament, is the second time in recent weeks that questions have been raised about a key plank of his justification for imposing a new contract on junior doctors and turning the NHS into a seven-day service. The row comes as the result of the ballot for strike action by junior doctors emerges on Thursday.

Doctors recently complained to the Cabinet Office that Hunt has also misrepresented key research on how many patients admitted to hospital at the weekend die because too few senior doctors are on duty, and the British Medical Journal, which published the findings, has accused him of misrepresenting them.

Source: Jeremy Hunt statement on weekend hospital care is misleading, experts warn | Society | The Guardian

For a proper explanation of the junior doctor’s contract, listen to the November 13 edition of Radio 4’s The Now Show, from 14.30 minutes into the programme.

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6 thoughts on “Jeremy Hunt statement on weekend hospital care is misleading, experts warn

  1. roybeiley

    Another episode of politicians using dodgy statistics in an attempt to justify their actions. Hunt is no statistician. Nor has he any medical experience. He is a poor apology for someone who should be safeguarding the public’s health by being honest about the facts of the matter.Instead he is a danger to us all and has most probably chosen the wrong group of people to pick a fight with.Would just Love to see him humiliated and booted off to somewhere else. Like planning for the 2050 Olympic Games.

  2. chriskitcher

    All this from a failed business person in the PR industry. God he must be incompetent to fail in a PR job just like his erstwhile leader. If a business leader had a vote for strike action of 98% he would soon be out of a job, lets hope the same happens to this moron.

    Whilst I am on the subject of failure I note that his degree from Oxford was PPE which I have always understood to indicate that he is Piss Poor at Everything.

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