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An appropriately trained and experienced anaesthetist should be present for all neurosurgical operating lists and interventional neuroradiology sessions, with sufficient consultant-programmed activities to provide adequate supervision and support to trainee anaesthetists and SAS anaesthetists. 

An appropriately skilled or experienced stage 2 or above resident anaesthetist should be available immediately at all times. Appropriately experienced staff grade, associate specialist and specialty (SAS) doctors and on-call consultants or autonomously practising anaesthetists should also be available within 30 minutes. Where paediatric services are provided, consultant or autonomously practising paediatric anaesthetists should be available.⁴

There should be a named consultant or other autonomously practising anaesthetist responsible for every elective caesarean delivery list. This anaesthetist should be immediately available. The named person should have no other concurrent clinical responsibilities.

Whether in a dedicated paediatric neurosurgical unit or not, every child requiring elective neurosurgery should have care delivered by an anaesthetist or anaesthetists who possess the relevant competencies as demanded by the patient’s age, disease and comorbidities.

Anaesthetists providing supervision to other anaesthetists or AA’s should be easily contactable, able to provide the level of supervision required by individual supervisees and free to attend in an appropriate timeframe.¹¹⁹

Anaesthetists should be trained in the use of, and be familiar with, all equipment that they use regularly. The anaesthetist has a primary responsibility to check such equipment before use.¹⁷