Are you avoiding hospitals at weekends?
Doctors have told the Victoria Derbyshire programme that patients are avoiding going to hospital at weekends because of concern over higher mortality rates.
Studies suggest a 10% increase in the risk of death for patients admitted on Saturday and a 16% increase in the risk of death for those admitted on a Sunday.
These figures have been used by both David Cameron and the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt to bolster support for their seven-day-a-week NHS plans.
Joanna Gosling spoke to three doctors who say they all have experience of patients attempting to refuse treatment at weekends: Dr Tom Fox, a haemotology registrar and junior doctor, Dr Hamed Khan an A&E doctor, Dr Palak Trivedi a junior doctor training to be a liver specialist.
Martin Russell, whose mother died in hospital earlier this year when she was being treated over a weekend, also joined the debate.
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