Pathways for patients with additional needs, such as severe anxiety or learning difficulties, should be developed so individualised care can be delivered to minimise anxiety and stress to the patient.
Pathways should be multidisciplinary, starting at preoperative assessment and involving a learning difficulty nurse specialist, if appropriate, the patient’s usual care team, the day surgery team anaesthetist for the list and a surgeon, as appropriate.12
Patients GP or psychiatrist may need to be involved if sedation prior to coming to hospital is required.
It is recommended that the day surgery team has a lead nurse to oversee this pathway.
Consideration is needed regarding admission times and where the patient is on the list.
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
