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There should be induction programmes for all new members of staff, including locums. Induction for a locum doctor should include familiarisation with the layout of the hospital and the location of emergency equipment and drugs, access to guidelines and protocols, information on how to summon support/assistance, and assurance that the locum is capable of using the equipment in that hospital...

All recovery staff should receive appropriate training recognised for post-anaesthesia care.¹⁸⁰ Training should be tailored to meet the needs of the individual staff member and the recovery area.¹⁸⁵

CPD and the training of other staff should be facilitated by activities such as the establishment of lead practitioners and accounted for within job plans.

Members of clinical staff working within the recovery area should be certified to a standard equivalent to immediate life support providers, and training should be provided.

At all times, an anaesthetist or at least one other advanced life support provider should be immediately available. 

For children, a staff member with an advanced paediatric life support qualification or an anaesthetist with paediatric competencies should be immediately available.¹⁸⁰

Core competencies should be updated according to local and national guidelines.

Wherever possible, training should be provided in a multidisciplinary format.¹⁹²

Business planning by hospitals and anaesthetic departments should ensure that the necessary time and resources are directly targeted towards preoperative preparation.⁷¹

A well-designed preoperative service should minimise patient delays through the journey to surgery, while allowing appropriate time for initiation of interventions likely to improve patient outcome. By optimising planning of patient care, with the right staff and resources available, cancellations can be reduced and the efficiency of operating lists improved.