Postoperative recovery rooms. Staffing and facilities in three regions in the United Kingdom

Postoperative recovery rooms have been used in the United Kingdom for just over 30 years. Anaesthetic and surgical practices have improved during this time but the clinical problems encountered are unchanged essentially. Several surveys have reviewed complications that occur; the most common causes of postoperative morbidity and mortality are still cardiovascular and respiratory problems, the latter particularly of the upper airway. In contrast there are no data available on the standard of staff and equipment in recovery rooms. The results of a survey of this aspect of postoperative recovery rooms in hospitals in Wessex, North West Thames and Yorkshire Regional Health Authorities are reported. Particular effort was made to define the facilities available. The results indicate that 70% of hospitals do not provide staffing levels and facilities which meet recommendations of the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland. The implications of these findings with regard to anaesthetic morbidity and mortality are discussed.