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A dedicated, skilled anaesthetic assistant should be available in all locations outside the operating theatre where anaesthesia is undertaken by an anaesthetist.³

If sedation is administered by an anaesthetist, then a suitably trained individual should be present to assist the anaesthetist.

If sedation is performed without an anaesthetist present, a designated, appropriately trained individual should be responsible for monitoring the patient and keeping records. This should be their sole responsibility¹ and should comply with the hospital’s sedation policy.

Patients recovering from anaesthesia or sedation in an isolated unit should receive the same standard of care as that required in an operating theatre post anaesthetic care unit (PACU).⁴ For major vascular surgery, transfer to the main PACU by appropriately trained personnel may be required.

If a radiology department provides an emergency interventional service for which general anaesthesia may be required, plans for staffing this anaesthetic service should be made, particularly outside of normal working hours.^5,6,7,8

Access to lifts for easy trolley transfer should be available.

Procedure rooms should be large enough to accommodate equipment and personnel, with enough space to move about safely and to enable easy access to the patient at all times.

Environments in which patients receive anaesthesia or sedation should have full facilities for resuscitation available, including a defibrillator, suction, oxygen, airway devices and a means of providing ventilation.⁹

The procedure room should be easily accessible to the resuscitation team and large enough to accommodate them and appropriate equipment if required.

It should also be possible to arrange transfer of a patient from the procedure room to other areas within the institution if necessary.