The pre-op team consist of nursing, medical and clerical staff who will be able to help and support you through your Pre-op assessment appointment.
Nurse Practitioner
They undertake medical history assessments, examination and order any tests that are required, our Practitioner have all undergone a comprehensive 1 year training course, the assessments are recorded electronically and each patient is allocated 60 minutes with a nurse. If a patient requires an interpreter or has learning disabilities, a 2 hour slot will be booked. The nurse can seek advice from our Consultant Anaesthetist in the clinic.
Clerical Officer
They have varying roles and are able to work as receptionists who also ensure your personal identification details are accurate. They also gather outstanding test results from various departments and following strict protocols are able to process this information quickly so that surgery is not delayed.
Clinical Support Workers
They will perform the pre-op screening, observations, height, weight, do MRSA swabs and bloods and ECG’s. You will usually see the clinical support worker first and also as you leave the clinic if any further tests are required. Some Patients require antiseptic wash and nasal ointment before their surgery , this will be given in Pre-op with instructions.
Staff Nurses
This group of staff see patients who have completed the ePAQ questionnaire online, they will ask further questions and order tests and give information about stopping any medication. . They also chase up results. They manage MRSA positive patients.
Consultant Anaesthetist
They work in the pre-operative assessment unit every Wednesday in the High risk clinic. They act as a source of reference for nursing staff and talk to patients who either need to discuss the risk of their upcoming surgery or wish to discuss their anaesthetic. They review blood results where necessary, liaise with Consultant colleagues and make other clinical decisions when needed.
