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General anaesthesia for dentistry should be administered only by anaesthetists in a hospital setting as defined by the Department of Health report reviewing general anaesthesia and conscious sedation in primary dental care.⁵⁴

In an emergency situation involving a child requiring anaesthesia for an airway or head and neck procedure, the most experienced available anaesthetist and surgeon would be expected to provide life-saving care when transfer to a specialist facility is not feasible.

General anaesthesia for dental procedures should be administered only by anaesthetists in a hospital setting as defined by the Department of Health report reviewing general anaesthesia and conscious sedation in primary dental care.³

As a basic minimum for any obstetric unit, a consultant or other autonomously practising anaesthetist should be allocated to ensure senior cover for the full daytime working week; that is, ensuring that Monday to Friday morning and afternoon sessions (see Glossary), are staffed.²² This cover is to provide urgent and emergency care, not to undertake elective work.

Ultrasound imaging equipment should be available to anaesthetists trained in its use for central vascular access and transversus abdominis plane blocks. Where staff have the relevant competencies, ultrasound may also be useful for other tasks^.54,55,56,57

Anaesthetists should be aware of legislation and good-practice guidance relevant to children and according to the location in the UK.^{55,56,57,58,59} These documents refer to the rights of the child, child protection processes, and consent.

Pregnant women should have access to information about the differing modes of delivery during the antenatal period and should be offered the opportunity to speak to an anaesthetist if they wish to discuss how this might affect their choices around analgesia and anaesthesia.^{142,156,157,158}

For patients undergoing diagnostic procedures such as MRI, although separate written consent for anaesthesia is not mandatory in the UK, all discussions about sedation and anaesthesia should be documented. Discussion should include methods of induction, associated risks, side effects and potential benefits of the procedure. It is not the responsibility of the anaesthetist to explain the indications for the procedure.^55,56

In exceptional circumstances, an anaesthetist working singlehandedly may be called to briefly assist with or perform a lifesaving procedure nearby. This is a matter for individual judgement and a dedicated ODP or anaesthetic nurse should be present to monitor the patient in these exceptional circumstances.¹²³ This should be for as short a period as possible and the person left...

Information should be made available to patients that gives details of the surgery and local and general anaesthesia for ophthalmic procedures, as well as advice on what to expect on the day of admission. The Royal College of Anaesthetists and the Royal College of Ophthalmologists have a range of booklets available on their websites to help to inform patients.^55,56,57