Guidelines for the Provision of Anaesthetic Services

The Guidelines for the Provision of Anaesthetic Services (GPAS) support anaesthetists with responsibilities for service delivery and healthcare managers to design and deliver high quality anaesthetic services. It is developed using a rigorous, evidence-based process, with input from a range of stakeholders.

Each of the GPAS chapters should be seen as independent but interlinked documents. Guidelines
on the general provision of anaesthetic services are detailed in GPAS chapter 1: The Good department and GPAS chapter 2: Guidelines for the Provision of Anaesthesia Services for the Perioperative Care of Elective and Urgent Care Patients.

These guidelines apply to all patients who require anaesthesia or sedation, and are under the care of an anaesthetist. For urgent or immediate emergency interventions, this guidance may need to be modified as described in GPAS chapter 5: Guidelines for the Provision of Emergency Anaesthesia.

Chapter 1

Guidelines for the Provision of Anaesthesia Services: The Good Department 

Chapter 2

Guidelines for the Provision of Anaesthesia Services for the Perioperative Care of Elective and Urgent Care Patients 

Chapter 5

Guidelines for the Provision of Emergency Anaesthesia 

Chapter 6

Guidelines for the Provision of Anaesthesia Services for Day Surgery 

Chapter 7

Guidelines for the Provision of Anaesthesia Services in the Non-theatre Environment

Chapter 9

Guidelines for the Provision of Anaesthesia Services for an Obstetric Population

Chapter 10

Guidelines for the Provision of Paediatric Anaesthesia Services

Chapter 11

Guidelines for the Provision of Anaesthesia Services for Inpatient Pain Management

Chapter 12

Guidelines for the Provision of Anaesthesia Services for ENT, Oral Maxillofacial and Dental surgery

Chapter 13

Guidelines for the Provision of Ophthalmic Anaesthesia Services

Chapter 14

Guidelines for the Provision of Neuroanaesthetic Services

Chapter 15

Guidelines for the Provision of Anaesthesia Services for Vascular Procedures

Chapter 16

Guidelines for the Provision of Anaesthesia Services for Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery

Chapter 17

Guidelines for the Provision of Anaesthesia Services for Burn and Plastics Surgery

Chapter 18

Guidelines on the Provision of Anaesthesia Services for Cardiac Procedures

Chapter 19

Guidelines on the Provision of Anaesthesia Services for Thoracic Procedures

We welcome comments and advice from clinicians and managers to enable new information obtained from audit and research to be incorporated into GPAS, so that the College’s guidance reflects and supports best practice.

Statement of intent

These documents are for guidance only. They are not intended to replace the clinical judgement of the individual anaesthetist, and the freedom to determine the most appropriate treatment for individual patients in a particular place at a specific moment should not be constrained by a rigid application of this guidance.

Each chapter is written with best practice in mind and referenced to recommendations from national bodies. It is the responsibility of the individual reader to take into account particular local circumstances when applying the recommendations of each chapter.