The department should have a policy on providing breaks for anaesthetists working solo which might include discussing breaks as part of the theatre team brief and providing a ‘floating’ anaesthetist to help with breaks in the theatre suite. If breaks are unavailable, then this should be formally recorded and included in the organisation’s risk register.
Arrangements to handover duties easily and swiftly should be made promptly and sympathetically to enable the anaesthetist or staff member to have time away from the workplace following a major adverse event. Additional support should be provided on return to work and also when the anaesthetist is presented with similar clinical scenarios.106
High-quality anaesthesia is pivotal to achieving successful outcomes following day surgery. The majority of anaesthesia for day surgery should be delivered by consultants or autonomously practising anaesthetists. Staff grade, associate specialist and specialty doctors and experienced trainee anaesthetists may also provide anaesthesia for day surgery. However, these doctors should be suitably experienced and skilled in techniques appropriate to the practice...
In units offering a 24-hour regional analgesia service, the duty anaesthetist should be resident on the hospital site where the regional analgesia is provided (not at a nearby hospital).
The lead obstetric anaesthetist should ensure that there are continuing quality improvement projects to maintain and improve the care in their units.28
There should be specific consultant or autonomously practising anaesthetist programmed activity time for burn anaesthesia in hospitals where burn surgery is undertaken.4
Service developments outside the operating theatre (e.g. interventional cardiology) often place unintended demands on anaesthetists. The business plans for such services should include provision for anaesthetic services.
Robust procedures should be in place to report and investigate adverse incidents involving equipment, staff or patients. The published outcomes of these investigations should be disseminated to all relevant anaesthetists and others.
For children, a staff member with an advanced paediatric life support qualification or an anaesthetist with paediatric competencies should be immediately available.178
Anaesthetic assistants whether nurse or operating department practitioners, should be trained in the preparation of this specialist equipment to be able to support the anaesthetist in the delivery of lung isolation and one lung ventilation.
