Recovery of obstetric patients is often done outside the main theatres’ recovery unit. The arrangement depends on local obstetric unit policy and recovery may differ in location and personnel depending on whether they have received regional anaesthesia or general anaesthesia.

The principles and standards of recovering post-anaesthesia patients remain the same and handover (whether to the recovery nurse or to a midwife) should be no different. However, many midwives are not trained in recovery after general anaesthesia, which may mean that recovery nurses, operating department practitioners (ODPs) or anaesthetists may have to recover patients after general anaesthesia. It is vital that the local obstetric anaesthesia policy is checked and followed.

Other areas which include x-ray, dental and psychiatric units should also apply the same standards of recovery.