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A postoperative analgesia plan should be discussed and agreed as part of the planning process.

Preoperative assessment should identify those patients suitable for day surgery in an isolated site.¹⁷

Where day surgery is performed in isolated units, practice should comply with the RCoA guidelines on anaesthetic services in remote sites.⁶²

There should be agreed pathways for patients who require admission to hospital following their day surgery procedure.⁵

All day surgery staff should receive appropriate training, which should be tailored to meet the needs of the individual staff member and the day surgery unit.^5,13

Standards and training for clinical staff working within the primary recovery area should be as defined within RCoA guidelines for the provision of anaesthesia services for the perioperative care of elective and urgent care patients.¹²

Training should be multidisciplinary, with the use of simulation encouraged.¹⁶

Appropriate and comprehensive training for anaesthetists in this subspecialty should be given according to current standards as defined by the RCoA.⁶³

Training for all clinical staff involved in the day surgery pathway should emphasise the following aspects:

• patient selection and optimisation for day surgery
• provision of effective postoperative pain relief⁶⁴
• strategies for dealing with postoperative nausea and vomiting
• the necessity of a multidisciplinary team approach in day surgery care
• the requirement for ‘street fitness’ on discharge
• the postoperative care of...

Funding for pathway redesign and facilities has been provided by central government and local commissioners. Cost analysis should consider all finances, including capital and maintenance costs, staffing and training costs for both the theatre and the ward, as well as costs related to the procedure itself.²¹