6. Recovery Room

6.1 The Anaesthetist who accompanies the patient to the Recovery Room hands over to the Recovery Room Nurse and gives appropriate information concerning the patient's condition and nursing needs.

6.2 On arrival at the Recovery Room, a recovery form is initiated and the first observations of blood pressure, pulse, temperature, respiration and pulse oximetry/oxygen saturation entered by the Recovery Room Nurse.

6.3 The administration of oxygen by medium concentration mask in the Recovery Room is routine unless countermanded by the Anaesthetist.

6.4 ECG monitoring in the Recovery Room is not routine but will be done if requested by the Anaesthetist. It may also be initiated by the Recovery Room Nurse if they believe cardio/respiratory monitoring is indicated.

6.5 Intravenous analgesia may be administered by suitably qualified Recovery Room staff, with orders being written on the anaesthetic chart.

6.6 Visitors cannot be accommodated in the Recovery Room due to lack of space, but parents of paediatric patients in approved situations are permitted to be in attendance. However, children should remain in the Recovery Room for the minimum period consistent with their safety.

6.7 Patients may not be discharged from the Recovery Room without the authority of the Anaesthetist. The usual procedure is that the anaesthetist visits the patient in the Recovery Room and signs the recovery form to authorise the patient's transfer back to the ward. In certain situations, if the patient is brought to the Recovery Room conscious and is fit for discharge back to the general ward, the Anaesthetist can indicate that discharge may be at the discretion of the Recovery Room Charge Nurse, whenever convenient.

6.8 There is no minimum period of stay and patients may be discharged according to standard Recovery Room criteria, if their condition is satisfactory.