Orthopaedic trauma care: a two-tier system?

Orthopaedic trauma requiring surgical admission presents to our hospitals right throughout the week. However, the level of service provided to trauma patients appears to fluctuate with more surgery facilities available during weekday "office-hours" with reduced facilities at the weekend. The National Confidential Enquiry into Peri-operative Deaths (NCEPOD) in 1999 laid down guidelines for orthopaedic trauma surgery in elderly patients clearly stating that no elderly patient requiring an urgent operation should have to wait for more than 24 h once fit for surgery. We see no reason to exclude the younger population from such a directive and have hence applied the same standard of "surgery within 24 h of admission" as our index of appropriate practice. Audit of our consultant delivered performance confirmed that while an average 88% of "weekday service" patients admitted Sunday through Thursday achieved this standard, only an average of 64% of weekend service patients admitted on Friday or Saturday achieved the same standard. The purpose of this report is to increase awareness of what we believe to be a widespread dilemma. The day of the week should not dictate the treatment of the patient.