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The anaesthetist’s primary responsibility is care of the woman. A separate healthcare professional should be responsible for neonatal resuscitation and the care of the newborn baby.^167,31

All anaesthetic equipment should be checked prior to use in accordance with the Association of Anaesthetists published guidelines.²⁵ Anaesthetic machine checks should be recorded in a logbook and on the anaesthetic chart.

The ECT clinical lead should streamline the preassessment and consent processes for all ECT patients by setting up a collaborative system with ECT clinics and experienced anaesthetists. The mental capacity issues that affect informed consent should be acknowledged.

General anaesthesia for dentistry should be administered only by anaesthetists in a hospital setting as defined by the Department of Health report reviewing general anaesthesia and conscious sedation in primary dental care.⁷⁷

All anaesthetists involved in the care of pregnant women should be competent to deliver high quality safe care that considers the physiological changes and other specific requirements of these pregnant women.¹²¹

Continuity of care should be a priority in prolonged procedures and when this is not possible, a formal documented process with some overlap should be in place for handover of clinical care from one anaesthetist to another.³

Consultant or autonomously practising anaesthetists intending to follow a career in paediatric thoracic or cardiothoracic anaesthesia should have higher training in general paediatric anaesthesia of at least one year followed by a specialist training period of an appropriate duration in the subspeciality.

There should be an anaesthetist or a professional with suitably qualified airway skills who is available for patients in the recovery unit within two minutes.^183,185