About anaesthesia
Anaesthesia is a medical treatment that prevents you from feeling pain during surgery or other medical procedures.
There are 3 types of anaesthesia:
Local anaesthesia
Local anaesthesia numbs a small area of the body, so you won’t feel pain, but you stay fully awake. It’s used for minor procedures like stitching a wound or dental work.
Regional anaesthesia
Regional anaesthesia numbs a larger part of the body, such as an arm, leg, or the lower half of your body. You may stay awake, but you won’t feel pain in the numbed area.
An example of a regional anaesthetic is an epidural, which is used during childbirth.
General anaesthesia
General anaesthesia makes you completely unconscious and unable to feel pain. It’s used for major surgeries and procedures that require you to be asleep. Throughout the procedure, your vital signs are monitored by the anaesthetist to ensure your safety at all times.
Your anaesthetist will decide which type is best for you based on your health and the procedure you're having.
You can find more information on anaesthesia, procedures and what to expect on the
Royal College of Anaesthetics (RCoA) website.
The Anaesthesia Department
The Anaesthesia Department consists of:
Anaesthetic Consultant Doctors
| 8
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Associate Specialists Doctors
| 2
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Staff Grade Doctors
| 12
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ACSA Deputy
| 1
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Department Secretary
| 1
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We work closely with a wide range of healthcare teams to provide safe, personalised care across multiple settings.
These teams include:
- The surgical team
- Nursing staff
- Intensive Care Units (ICU)
- Maternity teams
- Emergency and trauma teams
- Pain management specialists
Feedback
We value feedback from anyone who has used our services, whether:
- you're a patient
- you're supporting someone who has been a patient
You can let us know about your experiences using our online feedback form.
Anaesthetic Department patient feedback survey
Research and quality initiatives
As part of our commitment to patient safety and quality of care, we contribute to national initiatives, including the
National Audit Projects (NAPs).
NAPs focus on key topics in perioperative care and generate evidence-based recommendations, intended to improve patient outcomes and inform future clinical practice and research.
We also work closely with the Jersey Critical Care Survivors (JCCS), a local charity that supports patients that have survived a critical illness.
You can find out more information on their services and how to donate on the
JCCS website.
gov.je