Basis of fees

Fees for operations are based on factors including the duration of the operation and the complexity of the anaesthetic care so as to produce a level of fee generation comparable to a clinician seeing self paying patients in an outpatient clinic. 

Fees include an allocation towards the following activities:-

1. Reviewing patient details that may have been picked up by a nurse led pre-operative assessment clinic

2. The pre-operative visit including taking a history from the patient, examination and answering any queries

3. Pre-operative safety briefings with the operating theatre staff and surgeon, preparation of drugs and equipment

4. Connection of patient monitoring, ensuring reliable access to the circulatory system, inducing general anaesthesia and ensuring a safe and reliable airway. Some operations may be formed under regional anaesthesia possibly with sedation

5. Positioning for surgery (usually patients remain on their back but sometimes they may be on their side or on their front)

6. Maintaining anaesthesia for surgery, ensuring stability of the patient's physiology during surgery taking into account underlying illnesses and providing additional analgesia for post-operative pain relief

7. Following surgery, ensuring a safe return to normal consciousness for the patient

8. Dealing with any additional requirements for analgesia in recovery or on the ward

A short 5-10 minute surgical procedure typically takes around 35-45 minutes from the start of the anaesthetic care to the completion of a handover in the recovery area. A simple one hour surgical operation normally involves around 1.5 hours of care. Some operations may require additional time for direct arterial pressure monitoring and additional regional anaesthetic blocks.