Author: Dr Maya Sussman, Anaesthetic Senior Clinical Fellow, Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust; RCoA Patient and Public Involvement Fellow

The Patient and Public Involvement team at the RCoA regularly develops patient information resources to help individuals prepare for elective surgery.

These materials aim not only to improve recovery, but also to use the ‘teachable moment’ of surgical preparation to promote healthier lifestyles and long-term wellbeing.

As surgical waiting times grow, there’s an increased drive to use this period for positive health interventions. However, we realised we didn’t fully understand how healthcare professionals, particularly anaesthetists, were using our resources in practice.

To explore current attitudes, behaviours, and barriers to supporting patients psychologically and emotionally before surgery, we decided to launch a survey through the College.