Abstract
Background: International research has highlighted a number of problems in handovers. 1 Despite being identified as a key part of a patient’s journey, no standardised best practice exists.2 In our anaesthetic department, anecdotal reports of suboptimal handover practice, poor trainee survey results, and accreditation requirements all naturally led to targeted improvement. We aimed to: (1) introduce a standardised anaesthetic shift handover process compliant with Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA) Anaesthesia Clinical Services Accreditation (ACSA) standard 1.1.1.3 (‘there is a structured handover between shifts’)3 with a target of >75% of handovers being dated and persons identifiable; (2) undertake semi-structured interviews to test the hypothesis that the intervention: (a) led to improved stakeholder perception of handover, (b) improved perception of patient safety, and (c) better information exchange.
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