[Correspondence] 24/7 consultant presence in a UK NHS tertiary maternity unit

Jeremy Hunt, UK health secretary, has assertively announced plans to impose consultant contracts that dictate consultant presence in hospitals 24 h a day, 7 days a week (24/7).1 The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, in its report High Quality Women's Health Care: A Proposal for Change, has also recommended 168 h of consultant presence per week in maternity units with more than 6000 births per year.2

Source: LANCET - September 4, 2015 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Irshad Ahmed, Michael P Wyldes, Hsu P Chong, Katherine J Barber, Bee K Tan Tags: Correspondence Source Type: research