24/7 surgery to cut NHS waiting lists

“Even in the more efficient trusts, it is rare to find operating theatres in use on Friday afternoons, let alone at the weekends. There are some good, practical reasons for this. Operating theatres require deep cleaning on a regular basis if methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus is not to become even more prevalent than at present. And staffing up for such round the clock surgery would add enormously to the NHS's already gargantuan wage bill.

“On a more prosaic note, who among us would want to undergo a tricky surgical procedure at three in the …