More Deaths from Surgery Closer to the Weekend

Patients undergoing planned surgery appear more likely to die if they have their operation at the end of the week, a study has found.

Researchers at Imperial College London looked at over four million elective procedures conducted in NHS hospitals in England between 2008 and 2011. They found that 27,582 patients died within 30 days of surgery. The mortality rate was lowest for patients having operations on Monday, and increased for each subsequent day of the week. The odds of death were 44 per cent higher for operations on a Friday than a Monday.

 The risk of dying was higher still for planned procedures carried out at the weekend – 82 per cent greater odds than Monday – but the number of weekend operations was small and may represent a different mix of patients.

 The authors of the study, which is published in the British Medical Journal, suggest the findings could reflect differences in the quality of care at the weekend.

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