Morning emergency operating list: effects of implementation.

The effect of the introduction of a regular morning emergency list for general surgery was assessed immediately on its inception and after 1 year. The main effect was a reduction of the surgical caseload after midnight. The number of surgical procedures carried out between midnight and 0800 dropped from 32% of all emergency procedures in 1989 to 11% in 1991. The number of nights during which emergency surgery took place after midnight dropped from 56% to 30% over the same period. After the adoption of a regular morning emergency list there was no surgery carried out after midnight on 70% of 'duty' nights.