As is the case with much of the propagander the media and government spew out the 'more people due in the weekend thing' is a misinterpretation of the statistics. More people due on the weekends because weekends are inherently more dangerous times of the week, there are more MVA's more alcohol related deaths, more drug abuse, and all the really sick patients in private practice get dumped on the public system on the weekends, all of which causes a spike in the stats. it's not as the government would have you believe the result of lazy ass doctors who can't be assed working the weekend and would see patients die. I do know a wee bit about the junior doctors contracts and the issue isn't that doctors won't work weekends. They already do! Some work 2 weeks over Christmas with no stat holidays or any break not just 24/7 24/14! The issue is they are being asked to do MORE hours. And it's simply not the same comparing being a doctor with other government industries. These junior doctors literally have your lives in there hands. If they screw up because they are horribly overworked people die. Then the trusts don't turn around and say 'oh well never mind you were exhausted and made a mistake, it happens'. They sue the pants off them and these poor doctors risk loosing there registration and livelihood. Doctors ARE NOT as the media and government would have you believe greedy lazy elitist jerks who don't want their golf matches disrupted, maybe in the distant past. But not now. They are already working 24/7 what the recently Inforced contract will do is make them work dangerously long hours for no reward AND discourage any half way decent junior doctor from staying in the nhs. There is already a huge recrutment problem. In addition where having 7 day working week MIGHT work-in primary care, all research to date shows that people do not want to go to the g.p or outpatients in the weekends, all the research so far shows pilot scemes to introduce this service have failed miserably. And............ *suddenky realises she is just too tired to continue standing on the soap box and curls up in bed for a nap*