If any major restructuring of the provision of local maternity services are planned, the lead obstetric anaesthetist should be involved in that process.24
Service developments outside the operating theatre, e.g. interventional cardiology, often place unintended demands on anaesthetists. The business plans for such services should include provision for anaesthetic services.
Robust procedures should be in place to report and investigate adverse incidents involving equipment, staff or patients. The published outcomes of these investigations should be disseminated to all relevant anaesthetists and others.
The supervising consultant anaesthetist should be easily contactable and should be available to attend within minutes of being requested by the AAs.112
The service should be delivered by an appropriately trained team, with specific skills in paediatric pain management and paediatric anaesthesia. Paediatric pain management services may be provided by paediatricians or anaesthetists.
Where scheduled procedures cannot be accommodated within normal list times, anaesthesia departments should make arrangements for anaesthetists to be relieved by a colleague.8
Recommendations for standards of monitoring during anaesthesia and recovery are stipulated by the Association of Anaesthetists and should be adhered to for all patients undergoing ECT.22
The IPS should consider facilitating anaesthetists in training to participate in inpatient pain audits and research as part of their training.57
In units offering a 24-hour regional analgesia service, the duty anaesthetist should be resident on the hospital site where the regional analgesia is provided (not at a nearby hospital).
