Importance

A preoperative assessment should be carried out because it:

• Allows identification of mothers at higher risk of complications during pregnancy and delivery (referred to as high-risk patients)
• Minimizes risk for patients by planning their care - assistance may be needed
• Improves patients' experience by relieving anxiety and answering their questions

Identifying patients

Patients needing preoperative assessment:

• Include all patients requiring anaesthetic intervention
• This includes both general and regional anaesthesia
• In exceptional circumstances, there may not be time to complete a full preoperative assessment, but a brief assessment should still be completed

Timing

Patients should be seen as early as possible:

• High risk patients should be seen around 30-34 weeks if possible so that problems can be identified and management plans made for delivery
• Patients for elective caesarean section can be seen in the days preceding admission or as early as possible on the day of surgery Identify patients on the labour ward with whom you may be involved and see them as early as possible