7-day NHS: Medicine Hot Topics and Interview Questions
- Abbie G
- Jun 19, 2023
- 10 min read
Updated: Dec 16, 2024
Students preparing for medical school interviews should have a good grasp of various hot topics that can be applied to their answers. The concept of a ‘7-day NHS’ is one which students should feel comfortable talking about in interviews, and will be discussed in this article.
This article will explain the concept of a 7-day NHS, the benefits and challenges of a 7-day system, and how to answer questions on this topic.
Combine your reading here of medicine interview questions and model answers with medicine interview tutoring or 1-1 mock interviews to ensure even greater success in your interviews.
7-day NHS for Medicine Interviews: A Summary
The plans for a 7-day NHS were proposed in 2015 by the Conservative government
Benefits of a 7-day NHS include shortening current waiting lists, ensuring good quality care all week, and enabling the discharge of recovered patients at the weekend
Challenges of implementing a 7-day NHS include the current low staffing levels within trusts and the lack of funding
The four pillars of medical ethics can be applied to this topic in order to understand the ethical context behind it
It is important for you to understand what a 7-day NHS is, the ethical considerations of this issue, the 7-day NHS pros and cons, and how to answer questions on it for your interview
👉🏻 Read more: Ultimate Medicine Interview Preparation Guide
Understanding what the 7-day NHS is about
The concept of a 7-day NHS was proposed by the Conservative government in 2015. Their goal was to have the NHS provide their healthcare services 7 days a week, in response to evidence that health outcomes vary when patients are admitted to the hospital at the weekend.
The research found that there was increased mortality of patients admitted at the weekend. However, it is important to remember that there is a multitude of factors that could contribute to the excess deaths.
The initial prospects for a 7-day NHS were that people would be able to book GP appointments at the weekend and in the evenings and that those in need of emergency care at weekends would receive the same level of care as they would during the week.
The government set out goals in order to achieve a 7-day NHS, the four most important goals being:
All patients admitted as an emergency must be seen by a consultant within 14 hours of arrival at a hospital
There must be 7-day access to diagnostic services (for example, X-ray, CT)
Patients must have access to consultant-directed interventions 7-days a week (examples include emergency general surgery and critical care)
Patients in high-dependency areas of the hospital must be seen by a consultant twice daily, and once taken to a general ward in the hospital, they must be seen every 24 hours by a consultant
As you may have noticed from the goals above, the role of the consultant plays an important role within a 7-day NHS. This is because consultants have previously been able to opt out of working non-emergency shifts at weekends.
The 7-day NHS proposal planned to change this and ensure that consultants had a duty to work more frequently at weekends.
👉🏻 Read more: NHS Core Values
Benefits of a 7-day NHS system
The main benefits of a 7-day NHS are as follows:
Patients can receive high-quality care whenever they need access to it
Patients can be discharged at weekends, not just on weekdays, meaning that patients who are well enough to leave the hospital will not be using up beds
There will be improved continuity of care over weekends, ensuring that patients have access to consultant-led review 7-days a week
Those working 9-5 hours who struggle to access GP services will be able to get appointments in the evening.
It may ease waiting times in the NHS if more patients access services such as appointments on the weekend
👉🏻 Read more: Common NHS Hot Topics
Challenges of a 7-day NHS system
The main challenges of a 7-Day NHS system are as follows:
As well as seeing patients within the timeframes specified, consultants and other doctors need to document accurately throughout the patient’s stay. Trusts have voiced their concerns with inaccurate documentation leading to issues with knowing when consultant review is needed
Trusts which are understaffed may find it difficult to implement a 7-day service until staffing issues are sorted out
Doctors have voiced concerns with the vagueness of the goals set out for a 7-day NHS - for example, which patients count as an emergency when the 14-hour consultant review window begins.
The NHS is struggling to cope with the funding it receives, so many do not understand how a broadened service is affordable
👉🏻 Read more: NHS GP Shortage and Crisis
Progress with the 7-day NHS to date
8 years have passed since the 7-day NHS was proposed, so it is important to understand how it has been implemented into the NHS in this time.
There have been expansions of services running out-of-hours and at weekends in many trusts. This includes diagnostic services and primary care services.
Services such as health visitors for mothers and babies, and adult mental health crisis services, often operate 24/7.
However, there are still problems with implementing a high-quality 7-day service. This is strongly linked with the issues of staffing in the NHS.
An example of a service which is struggling with the provision of a 7-day service is General Practice. Since 2019, the workforce of GPs has increased by 27%, however, many still find it difficult to get a GP appointment.
A plan recently published by the Department of Health and Social Care outlines changes to the GP service that are needed.
First, to tackle the “8 am rush” of phone calls to GPs that often result in being asked to call back another time.
Second, to ensure patients know how their request is being managed on the day they contact their GP practice.
As you can see, the implementation of a 7-day NHS has not been a smooth process. There is still a long way to go in many areas of the NHS to make it a 7-day service.
However, the lack of funding and understaffing issues within the NHS means it is unlikely to become a fully 7-day service any time soon.
👉🏻 Read more: Junior Doctor Contract
Future Projections: What's Next for the 7-Day NHS Initiative?
Looking to the future, the trajectory of the 7-Day NHS initiative is likely to be shaped by multiple factors.
From addressing current challenges such as understaffing and underfunding to adapting to new developments in the healthcare sector, the 7-Day NHS will need to evolve.
It's also important to consider the impact of technological advancements, such as telemedicine and digital health services, which could play a role in achieving the goals of the 7-Day NHS.
The initiative's success will largely depend on strategic planning, sustainable funding, and continued commitment to improving patient outcomes.
Ethical Considerations of a 7-day NHS
As with any hot topic that could come up in your medicine interview, it is important to understand the ethical aspects of a 7-day NHS:
Autonomy: A 7-day NHS could be understood to enhance the autonomy of some patients. For example, patient choice would be expanded by being able to seek out-of-hours GP appointments and having a wider range of emergency services to access at weekends.
Beneficence/non-maleficence: a 7-day NHS can be understood as reducing harm for patients, by striving to provide better care and reduce mortality at weekends. Giving patients a wider window for contacting GPs out-of-hours is also a positive for patients.
Justice: It is fair for patients to receive the same level of care at weekends as they do on weekdays.
👉🏻 Read more: Answering Medical Ethics Questions
Preparing for a Medicine Interview: The 7-day NHS
The concept of a 7-day NHS is very topical at the moment. Therefore, it is important that you have read about what it is and have examples to give on how it is being implemented (or not) currently.
Understanding the balance between providing good quality 24/7 care, dealing with the understaffing issues in the NHS, and the current backlog, is very important.
Interviewers will want you to have an appreciation for the challenges that the NHS faces with trying to implement a 7-day service. They won’t want you to know the complete picture of how to deal with these challenges, but the ability to have a conversation on this topic will be very helpful in interviews.
👉🏻 Read more: Medicine Interview Topics
Medicine interview questions on a 7-day NHS - hot topics
Can you tell me about the concept of a 7-day NHS?
How could a 7-day NHS service benefit patients?
How would a 7-day NHS service affect doctors working in primary care/hospital settings?
What are the main challenges of implementing a 7-day NHS?
Why does a 7-day NHS need to be implemented? Is there any evidence to support the 7-day NHS plans?
As a doctor, you will be expected to work on weekends - do you think medical students should have ward-based teaching at weekends to prepare for this?
How do you think a 7-day NHS will affect the work-life balance of doctors/nurses?
What impact could a 7-day NHS have on overall healthcare costs?
Could a 7-day NHS contribute to reducing waiting times for surgeries and procedures?
Do you believe a 7-day NHS could improve patient safety and reduce mortality rates?
👉🏻 Read more: 280 Medical School Practice Interview Questions
Top Tips on 7-day NHS in Medicine Interviews
The important things to consider when answering questions about the 7-day NHS in your interview:
Have a couple of benefits and a couple of challenges ready to discuss before your interview
Consider how a 7-day NHS affects other healthcare workers also - nurses, occupational therapists, physios
Discussion of the 7-day NHS concept is a great opportunity for you to showcase the relationship between politics and healthcare. Ensure, when answering questions on this topic, that you understand that the plans came from the Conservative government in 2015, not the NHS itself
👉🏻 Read more: MMI Medicine Interview Tips Guide
Interview model question and answer: 7-day NHS
Q: Can you tell me about the concept of a 7-day NHS?
A: Plans for a 7-day NHS were proposed in 2015 by the Conservative government. This was in response to evidence that there was an increase in the risk of death for patients admitted over the weekend.
According to these plans, a 7-day NHS would ensure emergency patients would be seen by a consultant within 14 hours of arrival at the hospital. Furthermore, the plans outlined that patients should have access to diagnostic services and consultant-led interventions 7 days a week. Finally, patients in high-dependency areas of the hospital would be seen twice daily, and then once daily when moved to a general ward in the hospital.
These plans have been met with criticism and have proven challenging to implement. The NHS is facing issues with underfunding and understaffing currently, and therefore, extension of services beyond what is currently available is not an easy task.
Therefore, even 8 years later, the NHS is not a fully 24/7 service.
👉🏻 Read more: Medicine Interview questions guide
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 7-day NHS?
7-day NHS refers to NHS services being available 7 days a week, and ensuring patients receive the same level of care at weekends as they do weekdays.
When was the 7-day NHS introduced?
The 7-day NHS concept was proposed in 2015 by the Conservative government.
What is the “weekend effect” in the NHS?
Evidence demonstrated that patients admitted to the hospital over the weekend had a higher risk of mortality compared to patients admitted during the week. The 7-day NHS plan was created in order to combat this.
What are some problems with the 7-day NHS?
The 7-day NHS plan has been difficult to implement, due to issues with low staffing in the NHS and underfunding.
What is 7DS?
7DS stands for 7-day services.
👉🏻 Read more: Dr Bawa-Garba Case
What does the term "7-Day NHS" mean?
The term "7-Day NHS refers to a healthcare initiative in the United Kingdom aiming to provide the same level of NHS services seven days a week, including weekends. The goal is to ensure consistent, high-quality patient care irrespective of the day of the week.
Has the 7-Day NHS been fully implemented?
The 7-Day NHS initiative has been introduced and is in various stages of implementation across the UK. However, it's important to note that full implementation has been challenged by factors such as staffing shortages and budget constraints.
What does 7DS refer to in the context of healthcare?
In the context of healthcare, particularly in relation to the NHS, 7DS stands for 7-Day Services. This term aligns with the 7-Day NHS initiative, which aims to provide consistent healthcare services every day of the week.
Do NHS consultants work on weekends under the 7-Day NHS initiative?
Yes, under the 7-Day NHS initiative, consultants and other healthcare professionals may work on weekends. The idea is to ensure that patients receive high-quality care, whether it's a weekday or weekend. However, the specifics can depend on individual hospital policies and staffing arrangements.
Does the UK currently have a 7-Day NHS?
As of now, the UK is progressively working towards a 7-Day NHS, with the aim of providing the same level of healthcare services every day of the week. However, full implementation varies across different regions and healthcare services, and it's still a work in progress due to challenges such as funding and staffing.
Does the 7-Day NHS impact the quality of care?
The aim of the 7-Day NHS is to improve the quality of care by providing consistent and accessible healthcare services throughout the week. However, it's important to note that maintaining high-quality care under this system also depends on factors such as adequate staffing, sufficient funding, and efficient healthcare management.
How does the 7-Day NHS affect healthcare professionals?
The implementation of a 7-Day NHS has implications for healthcare professionals, primarily in terms of changes to working patterns. While it can provide more flexibility, it may also lead to longer working hours and potential issues with work-life balance. The impact on job satisfaction and staff retention is also a key consideration.
What are the projected long-term effects of the 7-Day NHS?
The 7-Day NHS could potentially lead to improved patient outcomes by reducing the 'weekend effect'. However, the long-term effects will depend on how effectively challenges such as staffing, funding, and maintaining the quality of care are managed. Additionally, technological advancements in healthcare could play a crucial role in shaping the future of the 7-Day NHS.
Conclusion
The 7-day NHS is an important topic for you to be aware of when preparing for interviews. Questions on this topic provide an opportunity for you to demonstrate your understanding of the relationship between politics and medicine and the ways in which the NHS can improve.
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