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High-risk patients should be discussed in regular specialty multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings with anaesthetic representation. Such an arrangement facilitates robust team decision-making with regard to patient care while minimising delays in the surgical pathway. Clinical time should be agreed in job plans to reflect this commitment. There should be an anaesthetic MDT led by anaesthetists and including cardiologists, respiratory physicians...

Anaesthetists should be aware of legislation and good practice guidance^77,78,79 relevant to children and according to the location in the UK.^80,81,82,83 These documents refer to the rights of the child, child protection processes and consent.

Anaesthetists must undertake at least level 2 training in safeguarding/child protection,⁸⁴ and must maintain this level of competence by regular annual updates on current policy and practice and case discussion.⁸⁵

At least one anaesthetist in each anaesthetic department, not necessarily an obstetric anaesthetist, should take the lead in safeguarding/child protection⁸⁶ and undertake training and maintain core level 3 competencies. The lead anaesthetist for safeguarding/child protection should liaise with their multidisciplinary counterparts within the obstetric unit.

Anaesthetic machines, monitoring and infusion equipment and near patient testing devices should be maintained, repaired and calibrated by medical physics technicians.

All units should have facilities, equipment and appropriately trained staff to provide care for acutely ill obstetric patients. If this is unavailable, women should be transferred to the general critical care area in the same hospital with staff trained to provide care to obstetric patients.¹⁶

All patients should be able to access level 3 critical care if required; units without such provision on site should have an arrangement with a nominated level 3 critical care unit and an agreed policy for the stabilisation and safe transfer of patients to this unit when required.^16,55 Portable monitoring with the facility for invasive monitoring should...

An anaesthetic office, within five minutes from the delivery suite, should be available to the duty anaesthetic team. The room should have a computer with intra/internet access for access to specialist reference material and local multidisciplinary evidence based guidelines and policies. The office space, facilities and furniture should comply with the standards recommended by the Association of Anaesthetists guidelines.^67...

A communal rest room in the delivery suite should be provided to enable staff of all specialties to meet. 

A seminar room should be accessible for training, teaching and multidisciplinary meetings.