Welcome to the Anaesthetic Department
The anaesthetic department is made up of a large team of anaesthetists (AKA “Sleepy Doctors”), anaesthetic nurses and recovery nurses. We are all there to look after babies, children and young people before, during and after operations, procedures and scans under general anaesthetic (a special deep sleep).
What is an Anaesthetist?
Anaesthetists (or “Sleepy Doctors”) are experts in looking after patients around the time of an operation. We come to the ward before your procedure to discuss the best anaesthetic for you. We stay with you for the whole procedure, and then we wake you up at the end.
Anaesthetists are involved in lots of other areas of the hospital. We help children with pain problems and look after very sick children in the High Dependency Unit.
Meet The Team
We are a large team who all work together to look after you.
We have several anaesthetic consultants, and you might also meet one of our anaesthetic trainees (doctors who are training to become anaesthetic consultants).
Anaesthetic nurses and operating department practitioners work with the anaesthetist to look after you during your procedure.
Our recovery nurses look after you just after your procedure to make sure you are comfortable before you go back to the ward.
What happens when I come in for my procedure?
You will get a letter telling you when to come into the ward. It will also tell you when to stop eating before your procedure. One of the anaesthetists will come and see you on the ward and talk about the anaesthetic with you. If you are feeling worried or anxious they may give you some medicine to drink to help you feel calm before your anaesthetic. The play specialist may also come and visit you.
When it’s your turn to come to theatre one of the nurses will bring you and a parent/guardian to the anaesthetic room, you can bring a favourite toy or blanket too. We will give you your anaesthetic using a small tube in the back of your hand, which we will put in with the help of some numbing cream. Another way we can give you your anaesthetic is to breath it in through a mask, which you can hold near your face.
We will stay and look after you for the whole of your procedure. Afterwards we will wake you up and take you to our recovery room.
The recovery nurses will keep you nice and comfy, and then get you back to the ward.
Further Information:
For children and young people:
Association of Paediatric Anaesthetists
Royal College of Anaesthetists – info for children and young people
For adults:
