Image shows sound waves and headphones, with the RCoA wording in the centre and the headphones arching over the letter A. Text reads: Anaesthesia on Air, with the RCoA logo in the top left

New #AnaesthesiaOnAir podcast🎙️
Featuring Professor Helen Higham in conversation with Council Member Paul Southall.

They discuss Professor Higham's work on human factors in anaesthesia, for which she was awarded the Hewitt Lectureship 🏆

Recorded at #Anaesthesia2025 🎙️

🎧 ow.ly/NGPH50Xect7

#Ansky

Text reads on card: Abstracts from #Anaesthesia2025 are now published in the BJA Open Access.

Shortlisted abstracts from our #Anaesthesia2025 poster competition have been published in @bjajournals.bsky.social Open Access.

View them here👉 ow.ly/F1hl50WLXgE

#AnSky #MedSky

Image shows sound waves and headphones, with the RCoA wording in the centre and the headphones arching over the letter A. Text reads: Anaesthesia on Air, with the RCoA logo in the top left.

The latest episode of #AnaesthesiaOnAir features @doctorhelgi.bsky.social in conversation with retired anaesthetist Dr Maginness about the Omagh bomb.

Dr Maginness was an Omagh local and part of the medical response team.

Recorded at #Anaesthesia2025 in Belfast. 

🎧 ow.ly/eFbz50WGczQ

#medsky

Image shows sound waves and headphones, with the RCoA wording in the centre and the headphones arching over the letter A. Text reads: Anaesthesia on Air, with the RCoA logo in the top left.

In this podcast, recorded at #Anaesthesia2025, @anilhormis.bsky.social and @rosiehogg.bsky.social discuss Nociception Monitoring.

▶️What is nociception?
▶️What's the NOL monitor and how does it work?

Listen here for answers to all your nociception questions 👉 ow.ly/4IBx50WxgKR

Delighted to see @emmasewart.bsky.social win the poster competition at #Anaesthesia2025

Emma presented work on periop tobacco dependency treatment. A dedicated team created our free, user-friendly guide for clinicians to support patients quit smoking pre-surgery.

🔗 cpoc.org.uk/guidelines-a...

Dr Emma Sewart shaking hands with Dr Sarah Thornton on stage at #Anaesthesia2025

Many congratulations to @emmasewart.bsky.social winner of the poster competition at #Anaesthesia2025.

'Perioperative Treatment of Tobacco Dependence: The Development of a New Guidance Document with the Centre for Perioperative Care.'

@cpoc.bsky.social

If you enjoyed #Anaesthesia2025 or feel you've missed out, save the date for #Anaesthesia2026!
12-14 May 26

Join
@platformcrocs.bsky.social
for our flagship conference in Brighton.

25% summer discount available until 30 June 2025
Book now with code ‘EARLY25’

ow.ly/1n0L50VWX1w

Fabulous talk from Tom Baumer about sedation using intranasal Dexmedetomidine as an alternative to GA for children needing CT/MRI. Great educational programme to support this rolling out in a new department @ruhanaesthesia.bsky.social
Very well deserved video competition prize! 👏👏 #Anaesthesia2025

Very grateful for the opportunity to talk about this work at #Anaesthesia2025
I’m really proud to have been involved with creating this great resource, which should make it much easier for clinical teams to support patients to quit smoking (link in comments) #medsky #perioperativecare #pqip

What is conscientious objection in the context of anaesthesia?

Speaking at #Anaesthesia2025 Dr Gail Van Norman MD describes it as something "that affects the very core of what your values are" be that elective abortion or a Jehovah's Witness anaesthesiologist who would not give transfusions!

As part of the @rcoanews.bsky.social #Anaesthesia2025 poster competition, @emmasewart.bsky.social presented work on periop tobacco dependency treatment.

A dedicated team created our free, user-friendly guide for clinicians to help patients quit smoking pre-surgery.

🔗 cpoc.org.uk/guidelines-a...

The #SNAP3 audit gives insight into frailty & delirium in older surgical patients.

At #Anaesthesia2025 @claireswarbrick.bsky.social
highlights higher frailty = higher delirium risk. The solution? Routine frailty screening on patients over 60 before surgery.

A small step with big impact!

Good presentation by @claireswarbrick.bsky.social on delirium and anaesthesia, in my opinion probably the least understood and appreciated post-op complication, and one that as anaesthetists I think we can influence. #Anaesthesia2025

Pre-op screening for frailty and cognitive impairment is only done in a minority of UK hospitals.

Should we be screening more? Should we discuss it pre-op?
Discussing delirium in pre-assessment reduces patient and relative distress if it does happen. #Anaesthesia2025

If you have emergency surgery you’re much more likely to develop delirium.

Delirium has an enormous effect on your length of stay in hospital. It increases by 5 to 10 days!

Post-op delirium increases your longer term mortality threefold. #Anaesthesia2025

#Anaesthesia2025

Frailty is a massive risk factor for post op delirium. Much more than having other significant medical conditions, which didn’t make that much difference.

We under-detect delirium but around 10% of our patients develop it.
#anaesthesia2025

The anaesthetic national audit projects are some of the most powerful in the UK.

We have a sneak peek at #SNAP3, looking at our older surgical patients, their frailty and any delirium experienced.

#Anaesthesia2025

Observe
Listen
Learn
Adjust

Your patient will probably have a hospital passport - please make sure you have a look at it and adjust your standard approach to accommodate their needs.
#Anaesthesia2025

Top tips continued:
- Don’t say “I’ll be back in ten minutes” (unless you really will be). Be less specific.
- Communicate clearly, use simple positive body language.
- Your standard approach may not work - your patient may not be able to count backwards.
#Anaesthesia2025

How do we communicate effectively with people with learning disabilities?

- Clear, jargon free written communication (we should do that for everyone, surely?)
- Decent hospital environment rather than a cattle market
#Anaesthesia2025

There’s a huge difference in life expectancy for people with learning disabilities. 20-28 years lower than the population.

People with learning disabilities are twice as likely to die from an avoidable death.

#Anaesthesia2025 #oliverscampaign

At #Anaesthesia2025 we are discussing the case of Oliver McGowan and communicating with people with learning disabilities. Many of us will have done the e-learning on his case (which I found very powerful).

Discussion at the end about the abandonment of Rowe v Wade and reproductive health.

Hospitals are mainly refusing to hand over records to the authorities hoping to pursue and prosecute women who wanted to access abortion care. #Anaesthesia2025

Does accommodation have problems?
It burdens other clinicians, causes scheduling problems and may increase delay in accessing care for the patient.

The objector themselves may feel complicit. #anaesthesia2025

More difficult objections -
Do we say these objections are incompatible with medicine? (Incompatibility thesis)
Do we try to accommodate within limits - patient has to be referred so they get the care they need. #anaesthesia2025

How many individuals have been asked not to wear religious symbols (hijab, cross necklace, turban) in the name of infection control?

No evidence that they’re a hazard, and we still have cloth theatre caps and take our cellphones into theatre. #Anaesthesia2025

Good morning everyone and welcome to #Anaesthesia2025 day 3.

We start with Gail Van Norman talking on conscientious objection.

What happens if a colleague will not transfuse blood for religious reasons?

Gail Van Norman talks about conscientious objection in medicine #Anaesthesia2025 @rcoanews.bsky.social the difficulties of unpicking the ethics of objections. You must ensure the patient gets the care you won’t provide

The inside of the main auditorium at #Anaesthesia2025 all seats occupied and the RCoA logo on the screen.

A large group of people standing and networking in an event space at #Anaesthesia2025

Welcome to day 3 of #Anaesthesia2025.
Another packed programme today including:

🔸 Patients with communication needs
🔸 Frailty/Delirium
🔸 Learning from Oliver McGowan
🔸 Poster competition.

As well as some great Q&A sessions. Enjoy!

Dr Tom Abbott receiving his award from Dr Simon Howell on stage at #Anaesthesia2025

Many congratulations to @tomabbott.bsky.social, on receiving the Mapleson Award Lecture at #Anaesthesia2025.

From epidemiology to platform trials.

Award presented by Dr Simon Howell.
@bjajournals.bsky.social