North: Hospital bosses blasted

Hospital consultants and managers were slated today following revelations that operating theatres in the North were used on average for just 21 hours a week despite the province having the longest waiting lists in the UK.

Hospital consultants and managers were slated today following revelations that operating theatres in the North were used on average for just 21 hours a week despite having the longest waiting lists in the UK.

A powerful all-party committee of MPs said theatres were only scheduled to be used seven hours a day, Monday to Friday, and even then they lay idle for some 40% of the time.