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All obstetric departments should provide and regularly update multidisciplinary guidelines. A comprehensive list of recommended guidelines can be found in the Obstetric Anaesthetists' Association (OAA)/Association of Anaesthetists guidelines for obstetric anaesthesia services.⁵⁵

An appropriately skilled and experienced resident anaesthetist should be available at all times to care for postoperative and emergency patients. The experience and skills necessary to provide this cover are not usually found in anaesthetists in training in stage 1.³

Anaesthesia departments should have a nominated anaesthetist immediately available (see Glossary) and free from direct clinical responsibilities to provide cover in clinical emergencies, as well as providing advice and support to other anaesthetists.⁴¹

It is the responsibility of those leading departments of anaesthesia, together with their constituent consultants or autonomously practising anaesthetists, to ensure that AAs work under the immediate supervision of a consultant or autonomously practising anaesthetist at all times.¹⁵

All anaesthetists and the wider theatre team should be aware of the serious complications of regional anaesthesia including wrong sided block and local anaesthetic systemic toxicity. Anaesthetists should help organise and participate in regular multidisciplinary training aimed at reducing risk, recognition and management.

Anaesthesia for children should be undertaken or supervised by senior anaesthetists who have undergone appropriate training. In the UK, all anaesthetists with a CCT or equivalent will have obtained higher paediatric anaesthetic training. There will be anaesthetists who have acquired more advanced competencies, thus allowing provision of a more extensive anaesthetic service, and those competencies should be maintained. Unless there...

Anaesthesia for children should be undertaken or supervised by anaesthetists who have undergone appropriate training. In the UK, all anaesthetists with a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) or equivalent will have completed higher paediatric anaesthetic training or equivalent.²¹⁰ There will be anaesthetists who have acquired more advanced competencies, thus allowing provision of a more extensive anaesthetic service, and...

Wherever possible, anaesthesia in remote ophthalmic surgical sites should be delivered by appropriately experienced consultant anaesthetists. Where a trainee or non-consultant grade is required to provide anaesthetic services at a remote site, the recommendations of the Royal College of Anaesthetists should be followed.¹⁰