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Agreed local clinical guidelines should be in use, produced by an appropriately constituted multiprofessional team, comprising anaesthetists, specialist nurses, surgeons, critical care clinicians, pharmacists, specialty consultants and managers. These guidelines should cover at least the following:

• airway management, including follow up for difficult patients (both plastic surgery and burn reconstructive surgery)⁵⁹
• monitoring of free flaps³⁹
• monitoring of local...

In recent years there has been a trend towards assessment of elective patients in preadmission clinics, typically one to two weeks before surgery. This allows routine paperwork and investigations to be completed before admission, permits ‘same day’ admission and reduces the likelihood of delays or cancellation.⁵⁷ Anaesthetists should be part of the preadmission clinical pathway, including implementing interventions to...

Anaesthetists should be familiar with the specific needs of patients with cancer, including the following:

• the adverse effects of high concentrations of oxygen in the presence of some antineoplastic agents, for example Bleomycin, and adjust their technique accordingly.^51,52 Recent evidence confirms the association between unnecessarily high intraoperative FiO₂ and increased risk of major respiratory complications and...

A difficult intubation trolley with a variety of laryngoscopes including video laryngoscopes, tracheal tubes (size 7 and smaller), second-generation supraglottic airway devices, equipment for emergency front of neck and other aids for difficult airway management should be available in theatre. Videolaryngoscope should always be available. The difficult intubation trolley should have a standard layout that is identical to trolleys in other parts of...

In recent years there has been a trend towards assessment of elective patients in preadmission clinics, typically one to two weeks before surgery. This allows routine paperwork and investigations to be completed before admission, permits ‘same day’ admission and reduces the likelihood of delays or cancellation.^48,49,50,51 Anaesthetists should be part of the preadmission...

In recent years there has been a trend towards assessment of elective patients in preadmission clinics, typically one to two weeks before surgery. This allows routine paperwork and investigations to be completed before admission, permits ‘same day’ admission and reduces the likelihood of delays or cancellation.³⁰ Anaesthetists should be part of the preadmission clinical pathway, including implementing interventions...

Day surgery should be a consultant or autonomously practising anaesthetist/surgeon-led service with a dedicated clinical lead or clinical director who has programmed activities allocated to the role within their job plan. The role of the clinical director is to champion the cause of day surgery and to ensure that best practice is followed. This role may involve the development of...