SENIOR surgeons, anaesthetists and nurses from Worcestershire hospitals are to be called to explain operation cancellation figures supplied to Worcestershire County Council.

According to the data, more than 3,000 operations were cancelled at acute hospitals in Worcestershire last year - including 1,236 because there were no beds for patients.

But councillors who are assessing the cancellation rate were unhappy with the figures and the descriptions.

"It's totally and utterly mystifying," said Coun Phillip Gretton, chairman of the health scrutiny panel which met this week.

"If you look at the information we were supplied, the cancellations come to about a thousand a year. We will ask for an explanation."

Malcolm Meikle, representing Wychavon District Council, added: "The answer is that someone needs to get a set of figures that makes sense. For example, 350 'theatre overrun' - does that mean people sit there all day and don't get operated on? These figures are useless."

Other reasons for cancellations included the operation not being required in 158 cases, 561 cut because the patient was unfit for the procedure, and 326 because the patient did not turn up.

The panel agreed to ask senior figures from the county's hospitals and the Strategic Health Authority to talk about the figures.

Janet-Marie Clark, of the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, said the trust was willing to clarify the numbers.

"We are more than happy to co-operate. We are working with the overview and scrutiny committee on many aspects of what we are doing," she explained.

"There is no problem in providing that information. If you break down the figures, they aren't as bad as the first look."