The government is in talks with the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses and the Medical Association of Malta over longer working hours, at the same time as new anaesthetists are being employed.

The target is to have non-emergency operating theatres in full swing until 8pm, Parliamentary Secretary Chris Fearne told Parliament.

Answering a question by Labour MP Anthony Agius Decelis on what was being done to seek fuller use of facilities at Mater Dei Hospital, Mr Fearne said there had been times in the past when surgeons were willing to work longer hours but could not do so because there were not enough operating theatre nurses or anaesthetists.

Mr Fearne paid meaningful tribute to “the very good, hard and delicate work of all who work in the operating theatres”. The current all-round efforts would serve to reduce waiting lists, some for operations that have long been pending.

Answering a question by Opposition health spokesman Claudio Grech, Mr Fearne said that between January and September this year there were 1,136 cases of elective surgery that had been cancelled.

The various reasons included the patient not having shown up, having been found not to be in a good-enough condition for surgery, or family problems.

He pointed out that the figure should be seen against a backdrop of some 50,000 operations carried out at the hospital.