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A multidisciplinary team approach is highly recommended, typically involving anaesthetists, obstetricians, surgeons, paediatricians and midwives.^{137,138,139,140}

Preoperative assessment, optimisation, manipulation of patients’ normal drugs and shared decision-making in patients with diabetes requires a cross specialty approach involving anaesthetists, surgeons, diabetologists and diabetes inpatient specialist nurses. The development of such teams requires time and resources. This should be recognised and provided.³⁸

In units where trainee anaesthetists work a full or partial shift system, and/or rotate through the department every three months (or more frequently), provision of additional consultant programmed activities should be considered, to allow training and supervision into the evening.²⁹

There should be a duty anaesthetist immediately available for the obstetric unit 24/7. This person’s focus is the provision of care to women in labour or who, in the antenatal or postpartum period, require medical or surgical attention. The role should not include undertaking elective work during the duty period.²³

Members of clinical staff working within the recovery area should be certified to a standard equivalent to intermediate life support providers, and training should be provided.⁴⁴ An advanced life support provider or an anaesthetist should be available at all times.

Anaesthetists treating children and young people must ensure that they understand the requirements for consent in the part of the UK in which they are working.^53,54,55,56

Anaesthetists who provide emergency care outside burn services should be trained in the initial management of the patient with severe burns, including timely emergency assessment, resuscitation, and transfer to a burns service, through the EMSB (Emergency Management of the Severe Burn) or an equivalent course.⁴⁹

Anaesthetists who care for children should have received appropriate training,³ and must ensure that their competency in anaesthesia and resuscitation is adequate for the management of the children in their care.^,3,4

Anaesthetists should help organise and participate in regular multidisciplinary courses and ‘skills drills’ for emergency situations.^{8,99,100,101,108}

Patients should be admitted to a ward or alternative facility with sufficient time before the operating list on which they are scheduled. If an adequate preoperative assessment has been performed, admission can be on the day of surgery but it remains essential that the anaesthetist who will be administering the anaesthetic is able to confirm the findings of the assessment...