Most hospitals not equipped for keyhole surgery

Only one in 10 hospitals is fully equipped to carry out minimally-invasive keyhole surgery as safely and effectively as possible, according to a survey conducted by the Association of Laparoscopic Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland.

The survey found that found that few hospitals have the best equipment and some are using old technology that may be unsafe.

The association surveyed 474 hospitals and graded respondents according to the equipment available. It found almost 28% of hospitals were operating with obsolete and, in some cases, equipment which was potentially unsafe.