Standards of accommodation for doctors in training should be adhered to.29 Where a consultant or other autonomously practising anaesthetist is required to be resident, on-call accommodation should be provided.29
Hotel services should provide suitable on-call facilities, including housekeeping services for resident and non-resident anaesthetic staff. Refreshments should be available 24/7.83
Continued professional development and the training of other staff should be facilitated by activities such as the establishment of lead practitioners.
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, at least one advanced life support provider or an anaesthetist 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.4
Core competencies should be updated according to local and national guidelines.
Wherever possible, training should be multidisciplinary.16
There is a high prevalence of recognised and unrecognised cognitive impairment amongst older surgical patients. This has implications for shared decision-making, the consent process and perioperative management. Older patients should have preoperative cognitive assessment using established screening or diagnostic tools.
All institutions should have protocols and the necessary facilities for managing postoperative care and should review and update these regularly.16
