Dr Foster has published its annual hospital guide, with the main findings focusing on weekend staffing in Accident and Emergency.
In response, NHS Medical Director Professor Sir Bruce Keogh said:
“Mortality rates in the NHS are going down, but hospitals with high rates and poor outcomes in the evenings and at weekends must investigate to see where performance may be falling short and look to those with the best rates to see how they can improve.
“By working together and sharing best practice, hospitals can improve services for patients. I will be asking the NHS Medical Directors to look closely at weekend services to ensure patients admitted at weekends receive the same standards of care as those during the week. This problem is not unique to the NHS, it confronts all health systems in the world, but I am confident the NHS is well placed to address these issues.”