Petition · past parliament

Stop misusing statistics about weekend deaths in the NHS

Rejected 21 signatures

What the petition asks

The government have been using a study about weekend deaths in the NHS to give the false impression that excess deaths are due to inadequate staffing. The study itself says it would be 'rash and misleading' to draw any such conclusion.
The editor of the British Medical Journal has written to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt to protest at the misrepresentation of statistics as have 2000 doctors but he, the prime minister and other government members keep misleading the public. There is now evidence that they are putting lives at risk by deterring people from seeking treatment at weekends when there is, and always has been, 7 day emergency cover in the NHS.

Why it was rejected

There was already a petition about this issue. Duplicates are rejected so signatures collect in one place.

Timeline

18 Jan 2016 Petition opened for signatures
12 Feb 2016 Rejected by the Petitions Committee

Key facts

Signatures 21
Status Rejected
Rejected 12 Feb 2016

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.