NHS services at weekends
Do you need to use the NHS at weekend? If so, does the NHS work at weekends? No. Well, most of it does not.
But parts of the NHS provide some parts of their normal service. In this article we will describe NHS services at weekends.
For example, hospitals do not run all services at the weekend or 24 hours a day. The most senior hospital doctors (consultants) are present in small numbers at weekends and on bank holidays. Hence most wards do not have a weekend ward round.
This is why ward discharges fall to 60% of normal on a Saturday and 40% on a Sunday (or Bank Holiday). This is a major part of the reason why our hospitals are jammed.
Also getting key investigations like scans is harder.
There are few planned operations and no outpatient clinics. Some [including CKDEx Ed!] think this is a waste of a valuable resource.
GP surgeries are open Monday – Friday 8am-6.30pm excluding bank holidays. There is 24 hour GP cover but this is not by your local surgery.
Ok. So .. let’s go through which NHS services work at weekends. Here goes.
NHS111
If you need urgent care at the weekend then your first port of call should be NHS111. 111 can provide advice on where to go for help, and even book you a local emergency GP appointment if needed.
Pharmacy
Pharmacies can also be a useful place to go for advice. And you can also get an emergency prescription from them if you have run out if tablets. Please take a copy of your current prescription. The bigger ones (e.g. Boots) are often open at weekends.
‘Walk-in Centres’ or ‘Urgent Treatment Centres (UTCs)’ or ‘Minor Injuries Units’ (all similar)
Many areas of one of these. You do not need an appointment. You can turn up and wait to be seen. They are usually open 8am-8pm 7 days a week. Again, they are a good place to go if you have run out of tablets. Again, please take your current prescription.
These centres treat the sort of problems you would see your GP for if they were open. You can find one here using the NHS website.
Accident and Emergency (A&E)
If you have a serious accident or emergency, go to your nearest Accident and Emergency (A&E) department. A&Es are open 24 hours a day 7 days a week. If you are too unwell to get there yourself, ring 999 to get an ambulance. The ambulance service also runs 24 hours a day.
Mental Health
Mental health care is poor at weekends. Full stop.
If you are suicidal, go to A&E (24h) or a Walk-in or Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC; both 8am-8pm).
If you are very unwell call the Mental Health Crisis Team (MHCT). Ring them if you have their number, if not, Google ‘urgent mental health helpline or crisis team’ + local area.
If you are not to bad, wait till Monday and see your GP, IAPT (NHS counsellor) or private counsellor.
Wait for Monday?
Depending on the condition, it may be better to wait for Monday and see your GP. Say, for example, you have had quite bad back pain for two weeks, and you think you may need a scan (e.g. MRI).
If you go in to hospital at the weekend you may be seen by a non-specialist junior doctor, and not get a scan. But if you are OK (no leg weakness and in control of your wee and poo) it may be better to go there on Monday, you may see a senior back specialist, and get a scan.
Weekend Effect
“Patients should get the same high quality, safe care on a Saturday and Sunday as they do on a weekday” according the Department of Health (DHSC). But you do not.
In fact hospital mortality is 11% higher at weekends, and bank holidays. This is true for all types of diseases: medical and surgical (big or small operations). The wikipedia page on the weekend effect shows the evidence for this observation.
Summary
We have explained NHS services at weekends. Parts of the NHS do work, and we hope you know more about where to go now. It should all work at the weekend normally in our view.
Last Reviewed on 11 May 2024