HC Deb 26 January 1994 vol 236 c316W
Mrs. Fyfe

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if each national health service hospital which carries out operations has a theatre dedicated to emergencies.

Mr. Stewart

In larger hospitals, surgical teams take turns to be responsible for emergencies, typically for 24 hours each, during which they normally have sole use of a theatre for emergency operations. Smaller hospitals cannot operate the same system but will always give precedence to emergency operations over waiting list admissions.