NHS staff took to Twitter over the weekend to show health secretary Jeremy Hunt that they already work seven-day weeks.
Using the hashtag #iminworkjeremy, thousands of health workers posted photographs of themselves on shift in hospitals and other health providers around the country.
In a speech at the King’s Fund last week, Hunt said there was a "Monday to Friday culture" in parts of the NHS and that consultants should have to work weekends.
The response shows NHS staff are happy to use technology to voice their anger at what British Medical Association leader Dr Mark Porter has described as overly simplistic and "a wholesale attack on doctors"..
Dr Ranj Singh @DrRanj tweeted on Saturday:
Just finished a 13 hour shift with no break. Next shift starts in 10 hours… #ImInWorkJeremy #7DayNHS
— Ranj Singh (@DrRanj) July 18, 2015
Dr Keith Grimes @keithgrimes tweeted:
Right – #ImInWorkJeremy , but so are nurses, HCAs, porters, lab techs, theatre staff, volunteers, cleaners, cooks…
— Dr Keith Grimes (@keithgrimes) July 18, 2015
Plenty of NHS staff also used the opportunity to ask the health secretary, 'where are you?' while they worked Saturday and Sunday.
Hunt responded on Twitter:
To drs on shift 2day: thx 4 ur hard work. Now we need 2 reflect that professionalism wth modern contract 2 make NHS safer!#ImInWorkJeremy
— Jeremy Hunt (@Jeremy_Hunt) July 18, 2015