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Wherever children undergo anaesthesia, there should be immediate access to a named consultant paediatrician with acute care responsibilities at all times. This includes a local agreement for those sites without inpatient paediatric beds.¹⁵

Equipment should be available and maintained that is appropriate for use in neonates, infants and children of all sizes and ages, including:

• equipment for airway management and monitoring, including capnography and invasive haemodynamic monitoring
• pulse oximetry sensors and blood pressure cuffs
• vascular access equipment, including intraosseous needles
• devices to allow rapid and accurate fluid and drug delivery
• equipment for warming...

Equipment for near patient testing of glucose, haemoglobin, blood gases and electrolytes should be readily available.¹⁸

Intravenous fluid management should conform to NICE guidelines, and appropriate equipment to deliver this safely and accurately should be available.¹⁸

Resuscitation drugs and equipment, including an appropriate defibrillator, should be readily available wherever children are anaesthetised.^13,19,20,21

Anaesthetic assistants should be appropriately skilled and have up to date experience in neuroanaesthesia.

There should be ventilators available that have the flexibility to be used over a wide size and age range, and that provide accurate pressure control and positive end-expiratory pressure.

Theatre temperature should be capable of regulation to at least 23°C, and up to 28°C where neonatal surgery is performed. There should be accurate thermostatic controls that permit rapid change in temperature.

Children undergoing anaesthesia should be offered a preassessment service prior to the day of their procedure.

Children undergoing anaesthesia and their families should be offered input from play specialists to help prepare the child for anaesthesia.²²