Maintain pressure on reforms to protect NHSAnaesthetists call for pre-operative assessment clinics
Head anaesthetists have urged hospitals to avoid last-minute cancelled operations by setting up pre-operative assessment clinics.
Members of the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland (AAGBI) believe better forward planning would minimise surgery risks and allow patients to ask questions about their procedures.
They expressed concern that patients cannot get advice about improving their general fitness before their surgery because of inadequate funding for NHS pre-operative assessments.
The call follows publication of new AAGBI guidelines, Pre-operative Assessment and Patient Preparation - The Role of the Anaesthetist.
Dr Ranjit Verma, who chaired the working party, said problems such as high blood pressure can prevent a patient from being anaesthetised for surgery, but a pre-operative consultation could give time for GPs to bring it under control.
“It is vital that anaesthetic doctors have the opportunity to assess patients before their operation to ensure that any risks are minimised during surgery,” he said.
“Some hospitals already provide pre-operative assessment clinics, but provision of these services is patchy and in many cases the only chance the anaesthetists get to see the patient is on the day of the operation.”
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