The Anaesthesia team provides anaesthesia to enable patients to tolerate operations and procedures in comfort and safety. This may be a local anaesthetic where the patient may remain awake, a local anaesthetic with sedation to make the patient drowsy or a full general anaesthetic where the patient will be asleep. We aim to provide safe, effective and personalised care to every patient we see, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The care we provide usually starts in the Pre-Operative Assessment Clinic (POAC) where anaesthetists and nurses work together to run the Pre-Assessment Service. Here patients are screened with a questionnaire and may undergo investigations prior to their planned surgery. Some patients needing major surgery are invited to attend our Surgery School where they are taught what they can do to help themselves to get the best possible outcome from their operation and to be in hospital for the minimum amount of time possible.
All of our operations take place in our state-of-the-art theatre suite comprising 27 operating theatres where Anaesthetists work alongside surgical teams from every speciality. We have three dedicated endo-theatres for keyhole surgery, a surgical robot system and an orthopaedic robot system for knee replacements. We also provide anaesthetic support for women in labour and we have two additional maternity theatres for mothers who require surgery for, or shortly after, delivery. We also provide Anaesthesia cover at Elmleigh Hospital and the Poswillo Community Dental Unit (within the grounds of QAH).
Post-operatively you may also be looked after by our Anaesthetists who work on our Surgical High Care Unit. Additionally you may meet someone from our Acute Pain Team – a team of Specialised Anaesthetists and Specialist Nurses who plan and provide pain relief for inpatients after their operations.
If you are coming into QA for an operation soon, please browse our information leaflets below.
Anaesthesia Clinical Services Accreditation
Portsmouth Hospital’s Department of Anaesthesia was awarded the prestigious Anaesthesia Clinical Services Accreditation (ACSA) by the Royal College of Anaesthetists in April 2016. This is awarded when an Anaesthesia department can demonstrate the highest quality standards in terms of its service provision.
Go to lift area 7 for fastest access. We are based on E level.
Referral is via surgical or maternity services.
