Search

Local policies should be in agreement with relevant published national guidelines.

Standards and training for clinical staff working within the primary recovery area should be as defined within RCoA guidelines for the provision of anaesthesia services for the perioperative care of elective and urgent care patients.¹²

Induction for a short-term locum doctor should include as a minimum 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 and IT systems in that hospital.

All anaesthetic equipment should be checked prior to use in accordance with the Association of Anaesthetists’ published guidelines.¹²⁷ Anaesthetic machine checks should be recorded in a log and on each patient’s anaesthetic chart.

The following policies should be immediately and reliably available at sites where anaesthesia and sedation are provided:

• guidelines for the checking of anaesthetic machines¹²⁷
• guidelines for the management of anaesthetic emergencies, including anaphylaxis,^55,172,173malignant hyperpyrexia and major haemorrhage
• periarrest and cardiac arrest algorithms¹⁷⁴
• difficult airway management, including the ‘can’t ventilate, can’t oxygenate’ scenario.¹³³

Where possible, guidelines should be shared locally, between hospitals and nationally.

Where possible, guidelines should be shared locally, between hospitals and nationally.