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Closed Jeremy Hunt to retract incorrect statistics quoted on hospital weekend mortality

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The health secretary has made frequent public statements regarding weekend mortality in hospitals, that are statistically incorrect. These need to be retracted to allay the unnecessary anxiety caused to the general public, about attending hospital at weekends.

He claims increased hospital weekend mortality. This is untrue: fewer patients die at weekends than any other day.
He falsely claims 11,000 "excess" deaths linked to junior doctors' weekend staffing. The study from which he quotes finds no causative factor and no evidence that these deaths are preventable. He fails to acknowledge that this study refers to a 4 day "weekend" of Friday-Monday and mortality within 30 days of admission, nor that patients admitted at weekends are generally sicker.

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    This petition will stay open until 12 August 2016.