The Anaesthesia department provides anaesthetic and acute care services to Daisy Hill Hospital. We are a dynamic team of highly motivated consultants. Recent expansion in our consultants caters for an expanding and a wide variety of surgical specialities at this hospital. A major role is played in teaching and training as a part of Northern Ireland School of Anaesthesia.

Our main activities/services are Preoperative assessment, Anaesthesia, postoperative care, Obstetric analgesia for labour and delivery, post operative pain relief and Critical care of life threatening emergencies.

There are 6 Consultants (7^th consultant post being advertised) and 2 Senior House Officers.

The department provides Anaesthetic services for surgical specialities, including Ear, Nose and Throat, Urology, Upper and lower Gastrointestinal surgery, Paediatric surgery, Breast surgery, Gynaecology, and Obstetrics, Trauma, Oral surgery, Community dentals and ECT for Psychiatric patients. A chronic and acute pain service is in operation and the Department provides services to maternity unit with approx 2000 deliveries per annum.

Acute and Chronic Pain

A lead clinician for Pain management is responsible for organizing audit, teaching and training within acute and chronic pain service. Our service has also taken responsibility for prevention and treatment of postoperative nausea and vomiting as this is inextricably linked with postoperative pain. Our message to the potential postoperative patient is that we concentrate on prevention rather than cure of pain and postoperative nausea and vomiting.

Obstetrics

On demand epidurals are provided 9-5. After hours epidural are provided for medical and obstetric indications.

Paediatrics

Two consultants have a special interest in Paediatric Anaesthesia. Some of the lists are dedicated paediatric lists and some have predominant paediatric content as in Ear, Nose and Throat surgery and community Dentals.

Ear, Nose and Throat

We provide day case anaesthesia for Tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, insertion of vents, nasal surgery and other minor ENT procedures for a very active ENT department.