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Hospitals should ensure that appropriate pathways and networks exist to enhance the hospital experience for children during the immediate postoperative period.^26,27

A designated separate recovery area for children and young people should be available in the paediatric anaesthesia location. This should have sufficient capacity for children to recover, be child friendly and staffed by suitably trained and qualified recovery practitioners to look after babies, children and young people.¹⁰

Patients having ophthalmic surgery should undergo preoperative preparation, where there is the opportunity to assess medical fitness and impart information about the procedure.⁷

Patients who require general anaesthesia or intravenous sedation should undergo preoperative anaesthetic assessment.⁷

As part of preoperative preparation, the plan for the perioperative management of any existing medications, such as anticoagulant drugs and diabetic treatment, should be agreed, taking into account the relative risks of stopping any medication in the light of the patient’s medical condition and the anaesthetic technique required. Advice should be sought from the multiprofessional team (e.g. medical colleagues, clinical...

If this is not available, in the absence a dedicated PACU for children, a discrete segregated area in the general PACU should be available. The environment should be made as child friendly as possible.¹³

The majority of ophthalmic surgery is performed as a daycase procedure under local anaesthesia.²¹ Preoperative assessment should identify those patients who are not suitable for this approach and who might require general anaesthesia or intravenous sedation.^2,22

Where ophthalmic surgery is performed as a daycase procedure, the facilities should conform to best practice guidance. Day surgery operating theatres should meet the same standards as inpatient operating theatres.^23,24,25Room should be available for patients to be seen in private by the anaesthetist and surgeon on the day of surgery.²There should be...

In units where ophthalmic surgery is performed, including locations that may be isolated from main theatre services, facilities provided should allow for the safe conduct of anaesthesia and sedation. This would include monitoring equipment, oxygen, availability of opioid and benzodiazepine antagonist drugs, a recovery area, and drugs and equipment to deal with emergencies such as cardiac arrest, anaphylaxis and local...