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National Preoperative Assessment & Day Surgery Consent Survey 2026
Section 1: Demographics & Service Model
*
1.
What is your primary professional role?
(Required.)
Nurse (Staff, Senior, ANP, CNS)
Doctor (Anaesthetist, Foundation Trainee, Specialty Trainee, SAS/Specialist, Consultant)
Pharmacist (Clinical, Pre-op Specialist)
Other
Other (please specify)
*
2.
What is your current grade/seniority?
(Required.)
Nursing: Band 5
Nursing: Band 6
Nursing: Band 7
Nursing: Band 8+
Medical: FY/IMT
Medical: ST 3-7
Medical: SAS/Specialist
Medical: Consultant
Pharmacy: Band 6
Pharmacy: Band 7
Pharmacy: Band 8+
Other (please specify)
*
3.
How many years of experienced you have specifically in Pre-op Assessment?
(Required.)
<1 year
1-5 years
6-10 years
>10 years
Other (please specify)
4.
In which clinical setting do you primarily work?
NHS General Hospital
Tertiary Referral/Specialist Center
Private/Independent Sector
Dedicated Day Surgery Unit
Other (please specify)
5.
Have you had any formal training in Pre-Op Assessment? If so, which training have you had?
Yes (University accredited module)
Yes (In-house/Hospital-led competency)
No (Self-taught/Learning on the job)
Other (please specify)
*
6.
How is your Preoperative Assessment (POA) service structured?
(Required.)
Centralized POA: (One central hub for all surgical specialties/day cases)
Specialty-Specific POA: (Integrated within the Day Surgery or Surgical team)
Hybrid Model: (Mix of centralized and specialty-led)
Other (please specify)
*
7.
How are patients triaged into their appointment type?
(Required.)
Manual Nurse triage
All patients receive the same appointment type regardless of history
Computer-generated/Digital triage
All patients seen by Consultant anaesthetist
Other (please specify)
Section 2: Day Surgery Streamlining & Virtual Pathways
8.
What types of appointments are available for "Green/Gold" (ASA 1-2) Day Surgery patients? (Select all that apply)
Face-to-Face
Telephone
Virtual (Video Consultation)
Remote Electronic Screening only (Patient-completed digital health EQ)
9.
In your opinion, has the move toward centralised or virtual POA affected the quality of day surgery preparation?
Significantly Improved
Slightly Improved
No Change
Slightly Declined
Significantly Declined
10.
Do you feel "streamlined" (shorter/virtual) appointments provide enough time to discuss anaesthetic risk adequately?
Always
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never
11.
Which electronic system(s) does your trust use for Pre-op recording? (Select all that apply)
EPIC
CERNER
MEDITECH
SYNOPSIS
MyPreOp
Paper Based
Other
Other (please specify)
Section 3: The Consent Journey & 2-Stage Process
12.
Are you routinely involved in the consent process for anaesthesia?
Yes – I obtain consent
Yes – I provide information but do not take final consent
No – I am not routinely involved
Other (please specify)
13.
If yes to the above, do you provide written information on the consent?
Yes
No
14.
If you provide written consent, what is the source of your consent leaflets?
Royal College of Anaesthetists
Association of Anaesthetists
British Association of Day Surgery
Preoperative Association
We do not provide written information
Other (please specify)
15.
How often do you use the Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA) "Consent" infographics or patient leaflets during a consultation?
Always ( I show them to every patient)
Often ( I use them for complex cases)
Rarely ( I know the risks but don't show the physical leaflets)
Never / I was not aware of them
16.
Are you aware of the "2-Stage Consent Process"?
Definition: Providing significant risk information and a "period of reflection" in advance (Stage 1) , followed by final confirmation on the day of surgery (Stage 2).
Yes
No
Unsure
*
17.
Do you believe patients receive enough anaesthetic risk information before the day of surgery in your current model?
(Required.)
Yes
No
Unsure
Other (please specify)
18.
Does your service provide a specific contact point for day surgery patients to ask follow-up questions after a virtual assessment?
Yes
No
Unsure
Other (please specify)
Section 4: Risk Discussion & Communication
19.
When discussing General Anaesthesia (GA), how often do you mention the common risks? (Occurring in 1 in 10 to 1 in 100 cases)
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Always
Sore throat
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Always
PONV
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Always
Shivers
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Always
Minor bruising
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Always
Dizziness or blurred vision
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Always
20.
When discussing GA, how often do you mention infrequent & serious risks (Occurring in 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 10,000 cases)
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Always
Damage to teeth, lips, or tongue
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Always
Chest infection (post-op)
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Always
Existing medical conditions getting worse
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Always
Accidental Awareness during GA (1 in 19,000)
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Always
21.
When discussing General Anaesthesia (GA), how often do you mention the infrequent/serious risks ? (Occurring in 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 100,000+ cases)
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Always
Serious allergic reaction and anaphylaxis
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Always
Nerve damage (permanent)
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Always
Death directly related to anaesthesia (approx. 1 in 100,000)
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Always
Existing medical conditions getting worse
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Always
22.
How do you explain numerical risk? (Select all that apply)
Verbal only
Percentages
"1 in X” format
Written leaflets
Visual aids
Section 5: Barriers & Responsibility
23.
What prevents "optimal" anaesthetic consent for surgery patients? (Select all that apply)
Time pressure on day of surgery
Lack of private environment
Patients not reading remote/digital information
Centralised POA teams lacking specialty-specific knowledge
Other (please specify)
24.
Who should have primary responsibility for ensuring informed consent for anaesthesia?
Pre-op practitioner
Anaesthetist on day of surgery
Shared responsibility
Other (please specify)
25.
What would most improve preoperative assessment in your organisation?
Current Progress,
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