Surgery: the director's cut

THE enterprising surgeon at Gartnavel Hospital offering to show movies to patients undergoing knee operations using only local anaesthetic opens up interesting opportunities.

Obviously, episodes of ER or Casualty – never mind Nip/Tuck – would be best avoided but perhaps something like Chariots of Fire could help the rehab programme get off on the right foot, as it were.

That some people are complaining that the operation is over before the end could be dealt with by sticking to episodes of Tom and Jerry, which might actually help speed up the procedure. Six hours of Abel Gance's Napoleon or three hours of Dances with Wolves could send anyone to sleep and remove the need for anaesthetics altogether.

Perhaps the service could be extended to other wards – imagine the scenes in a maternity ward as expectant mothers opt for The Sound of Music instead of gas and air although The Omen or Alien would be bad choices. Edward Scissorhands might not be appropriate for the vasectomy clinic and Marathon Man in the dentist's wouldn't be a good idea either.

Great care would have to be taken if the concept is to spread – Nine to Five in the job centre might not have the desired effect, nor Saving Private Ryan in the army recruitment office.