I¿ll boost A&E consultant numbers at night, says Hunt as he bids to ease pressure on departments Health secretary promises cash to pay for consultants to work out of hours Just FIVE senior doctors can be found on duty in England's A&Es at night Junior doctors left to staff A&E departments between 8pm and midnight Jeremy Hunt has now admitted the system needs to be 'beefed up' Promise: Jeremy Hunt has pledged £500million will help boost cover at understaffed A&E units The number of senior doctors working in A&E at night is to be boosted after the Daily Mail revealed there are only five across all of England. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said a portion of the £500million being given to hospitals over the next two years to ease A&E pressures would go towards paying consultants to work out-of-hours. At nearly all A&E units in England consultants go home between 8pm and midnight, leaving patients in the hands of junior doctors supervised by one or two more experienced medics. The Mail revealed yesterday that only five NHS trusts in England employ a consultant to work after midnight in their casualty department. Although there is a designated on-call consultant who can be contacted in an emergency after they have gone home, Mr Hunt accepted this system needed to be "beefed up." He told Radio 4"s Today programme: "About a quarter of the £500million the Prime Minister announced is going towards increasing consultant cover." Labour suggested the problem could be eased by allowing hospitals to advertise abroad to fill consultant posts. Currently they are banned from recruiting from overseas until they have tried to fill vacancies from within this country. Mr Hunt unveiled plans to help hospitals cope with the increase in those turning up at A&E and an expected surge in sick patients this winter. Fifty-three NHS trusts whose A&E units are understaffed or lack beds will be given a total of £250million, while around £62million will go towards extra staffing including paying consultants to work evenings and weekends. Care of elderly and other vulnerable patients at home will be improved to prevent them needing to go to A&E, and ambulances could be turned into mobile casualty units with patients diagnosed, treated and even dropped off back at home. Pledged: Mr Hunt has said about £125million will be spent providing extra consultant cover