General description of the work Consultant Anaesthetists undertake
The main work of a Consultant Anaesthetist is to put patients to sleep while they undergo operations or procedures. The Anaesthetist has the responsibility to ensure that the patient’s vital signs are monitored and that the patient has enough oxygen while under general anaesthetic.
The Consultant Anaesthetist is usually the main doctor in charge of patients when they are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
Consultant Anaesthetists are also in charge of spinal or regional anaesthesia such as epidurals in labour or spinal anaesthesia for Caesarian sections or other operations.
Consultant Anaesthetists are also involved in Chronic Pain Management and are usually the doctors in charge of Pain Clinics.


Most common clinical areas / procedures leading to a claim of clinical negligence
• Obstetric anaesthesia – problems with epidural anaesthesia during labour or spinal anaesthesia during a Caesarian section.
• Being awake or being aware during an operation when the patient should be asleep.
• Brain damage during general anaesthesia
• Problems related to intubation during anaesthesia.
• The management and monitoring of a patient on the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
• Problems involving chronic pain management or chronic pain syndromes.


Sub-Specialities / Alternative and Additional job titles
The Consultant Anaesthetist may also be known as a Consultant in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care or a Consultant in Pain Management or a Consultant in Obstetric Anaesthesia (if he/she mainly works in obstetric anaesthesia).


Usual Qualifications
The Consultant Anaesthetist will usually have FRCA (Fellow of the Royal College of Anaesthetists) after his/her name.


Academic Appointments
The Consultant Anaesthetist may be a Lecturer or Professor of Anaesthesia at a Medical School. He/She may be an Examiner for the Royal College of Anaesthetists.


Our Experts
The Consultant Anaesthetists who prepare reports on medical negligence cases on our behalf are all experienced NHS Consultants. They are in active clinical practice and they are experienced at preparing medico-legal reports. They are willing to attend Court in the UK and Ireland provided that they are given enough notice and that their fees and expenses for attending are agreed in advance.
Each of the Consultant Anaesthetists who prepare reports on our behalf has particular areas of clinical interest within anaesthesia and we match each case with the most appropriate Consultant.


The Report
The Consultant Anaesthetists prepare their Reports for the benefit of the Courts. In other words, they prepare unbiased Reports in order to help the Court to decide the case, rather than to help one side or the other.
The Consultant Anaesthetists examine all the documentation and details of the case and look at the standard of care that the Client received. They then give their opinion on whether or not the standard of care that the Client received fell below the standard of care he/she should have received.
Where necessary they provide background documentation and information to back-up their opinion.


Documentation required
The most important documentation is the Client’s Hospital Records. This documentation will usually contain their Doctors’ Records, Operation Records, Nursing Records, Out-Patient Clinic Records and Correspondence.
The Anaesthetist’s Records (usually attached to the Operation Records) are most important.
There may be X-rays and CT or MRI scans. If these are related to the event in dispute then copies of these will be of help to the Consultant Anaesthetist when he is preparing his Report.
An account of events by the Client and/or the Client’s family will be of assistance to the Consultant Anaesthetist. Copies of the patient’s Attendances with their Solicitor will also help to clarify the areas of care that are at issue in the case.
 

Time-scale for the Report
Once we have confirmation to proceed with the Report the Consultant Anaesthetists can usually prepare their Reports within 8 to 10 weeks. If a Report is needed urgently we will endeavour to have it prepared sooner than this.


Price of the Report
Once we receive all the documentation we will provide you with a quotation for the price of the Report from the Consultant Anaesthetist. If you decide to go ahead with the Report we will have it prepared and we will forward it to you on receipt of payment.
If you decide not to go ahead with the Report after receiving the quotation we will return all the documentation to you and there is no charge.


Queries on the Report / Addendums
The Reports from the Consultant Anaesthetists are usually very clear and give a concise opinion on the standard of care the Client received.
If minor clarifications are needed then these will be provided at no extra cost.
If, after the Report has been completed, additional documentation needs to be examined by the Consultant Anaesthetist or if additional work needs to be done in order to provide an Addendum to the Report, then there may be an additional charge. If so, we will inform you of this and only proceed with your approval.


Client Examination
The Consultant Anaesthetists do not normally need to see the Client in order to prepare a Report on the standard of care he/she has received. They can usually prepare their Report from the case notes and other documentation.
If the case does progress and a Report is needed on the Client’s current medical condition and/or prognosis for the future, then it is likely that the Client will need to see the Consultant Anaesthetist for an examination and we can make the necessary arrangements.