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Anaesthetists should actively engage in planning services with significant regional anaesthesia requirements. They should be actively involved in policy decisions, service improvements and equipment purchasing related to regional anaesthesia.

Association of Anaesthetists Consensus guidelines on regional anaesthesia for patients at risk of lower limb compartment syndrome should be followed. Discussion of risk with the patient should occur where possible.

All anaesthetists involved in the care of pregnant and breastfeeding women should be competent to deliver high-quality and safe anaesthetic care in this population.54

Anaesthesia for ECT is frequently performed in remote locations. Ideally, a consultant or an autonomously practising anaesthetist (see Glossary) should provide general anaesthesia. Appropriately trained recovery and operating department staff should be provided, and the guidance provided for anaesthetic provision in remote sites should be followed.⁶⁹

Patients exhibit extremely wide variation in response to drugs used for sedation. It is difficult to and undesirable to have to manipulate the airway of an unpredictably over-sedated patient during surgery, and so administration of intravenous sedation during ophthalmic surgery should only be undertaken by an anaesthetist whose sole responsibility for the duration of the surgery is to that patient.²

There must be the ability to provide the patient with an appropriate chaperone, as per General Medical Council (GMC) guidance on intimate examinations and chaperones.⁴⁹ When examining a patient, anaesthetists must be sensitive to what the patient may consider as intimate. This could include any examination where it is necessary to touch or even be close to the patient.

Patients undergoing lung transplantation may be under the age of 18 years. Anaesthetists must be aware of legislation and good practice guidance relevant to young and vulnerable adults.,^21,27Children undergoing transplantation should be cared for in a paediatric centre.

A minimum of two members of staff should be present (of whom at least one should be a registered practitioner) when there is a patient in the recovery unit who does not fulfil the criteria for discharge to the ward. If this level of staffing cannot be assured, an anaesthetist should stay with the patient until satisfied that the patient...