NAP7 study reveals significant workload for obstetric anaesthetists in NHS hospitals

2 April 2023

As part of the 7th National Audit Project on perioperative cardiac arrest, a snapshot audit was made of all anaesthetics given over a four-day period in November 2021 in 352 NHS hospitals in the UK. The results of this activity audit have now been published in Anaesthesia. 
 
The audit shows that obstetric anaesthesia activity (caesarean section and labour analgesia) represented 11% of all anaesthetic activity over a 24-hour period but in evenings (6pm-11.59pm) and nights (12am-7.59am), work done by obstetric anaesthetists represented respectively 31% and 55% of all anaesthetic activity.
 
Nuala Lucas, a co-author of the study and President-Elect of the OAA, said: “This important study shows what significant contribution obstetric anaesthetists make to the anaesthetic workload in NHS hospitals, particularly during on-call shifts. This adds to the information provided by the recently published OAA workload survey. 

"The OAA will continue to highlight the demands made on our members as they work hard to provide a high-quality, safe service in maternity care especially in the wake of implementation of the Ockenden report recommendations by NHS hospitals.”