Critical incidents should be reviewed at regular intervals and should be analysed for trends and learning for the procedural team and wider hospital. This can involve a review of all hospital-related procedural sedation critical events.
Local and national guidelines should be adhered to for patients requiring inter-hospital transfer to the regional trauma centre.55 Equipment for transfer should be organised in accordance with the recommendations of the collaborative framework of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine and the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine.54
There are increasing numbers of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed outside the main theatre environment, in both elective and emergency situations. These procedures may require anaesthetic involvement through haemodynamic monitoring during the procedure, sedation, regional anaesthesia or general anaesthesia. The challenge for anaesthesia is to develop a framework that supports and regulates the safe delivery of care.
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There should be at least one fully equipped obstetric theatre within the delivery suite or immediately adjacent to it. Appropriately trained staff should be available to allow emergency operative deliveries to be undertaken without delay.167 The number of operating theatres available for obstetric procedures will depend on the number of deliveries and the operative risk profile of the...
Adequate recovery room facilities that comply with the Association of Anaesthetists’ recommendations for standards of monitoring during anaesthesia and recovery should be available within the delivery suite theatre complex.43
Anaesthetic machines, monitoring and infusion equipment and near-patient testing devices should be maintained, repaired and calibrated by medical physics technicians.80
An anaesthetic office, located within five minutes’ walk of the delivery suite, should be available to the duty anaesthetic team. The room should have a computer with intra/internet access to specialist reference material and local multidisciplinary evidence based guidelines and policies. The office space, facilities and furniture should comply with the Association of Anaesthetists' standards.81 This office could...
A communal rest room should be provided in the delivery suite to enable staff of all specialties to meet.83
A seminar room should be accessible for training, teaching and multidisciplinary meetings.83
