Welcome to the webpage of the Anaesthetics Directorate for East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust.
What we do
We provide anaesthesia to allow you to undergo operations and procedures in comfort and safety. This may be a local anaesthetic where you remain awake, a local anaesthetic with sedation to make you drowsy or a full general anaesthetic where you will be asleep.
Before your operation you will pre-assessed either in a special clinic or by your anaesthetist on the day. You will be asked questions about your current and past health, medications and appropriate investigations, which may include blood tests, x-ray and a heart tracing, will be ordered. Your anaesthetist will see you before the operation to find out details about your health, test results and any concerns you may have and will work with you to plan your anaesthetic and post-operative pain relief.
After your operation you will be transferred to the Recovery Ward where a team of skilled nurses will look after you until you return to your postoperative ward.
Our aim is to provide safe, personal and effective anaesthetic care to every patient we see. Currently we have a team of 89 doctors who provide anaesthetic services to:
• Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital
• Burnley General Teaching Hospital
In the last year we provided anaesthetic care to 40,000 patients having operations.
How to access this service
Anaesthetists are doctors who have had specialist training in anaesthesia. You will be referred to our services via the Consultant Surgeon (or other appropriate Healthcare professional) as part of your elective surgical pathway.
Your anaesthetist is responsible for:
• assessing whether you are fit enough to have the anaesthetic for your operation
• talking to you about which type of anaesthetic might be best and getting your permission (consent) for it
• giving the anaesthetic and organising pain control afterwards, and
• looking after you immediately after the operation in the recovery room or in an intensive care unit.
You may come in to contact with Anaesthetic services for the following reasons:
Pre- operative Assessment Clinic and CPET (Cardiopulmonary Exercise) Testing
It is important that your general health is as good as it can be before you have an operation. You will have a full history, examination and appropriate tests, which may include blood tests, x-ray and a heart tracing before you come in for your operation. You will be asked about any medications you are taking so it is a good idea to bring a list of what you take when, with you. You will be given instructions about what medications to take or stop.
This visit is also an opportunity for you to highlight any particular concern or worries you may have. Many clinics are run by trained nurses who will refer you on to an anaesthetist if needed. You will always be seen by an anaesthetist before your operation, most often on the day of the operation.
You may be asked to do a fitness test before you decide that you will have the operation. A fitness test gives information about how risky the operation is for you. This helps you decide whether an operation is right for you. There may be other less risky treatments that would be better for you. The test also helps your surgeon and anaesthetist decide how best to look after you during and after the operation.
The fitness test is usually done on a stationary cycle. You are asked to wear a mask so the team can measure the oxygen that you use and the carbon dioxide that you breathe out.
If you cannot turn the pedals due to problems with your legs, it may be possible to use a machine that you turn with your arms.
Having a baby - Delivery Suite
There is always an anaesthetist in the maternity unit. They provide pain relief services for women in labour which may be epidurals or patient controlled analgesia. They are there to help care for mothers who may experience health problems in labour and to provide anaesthesia for those requiring operative delivery.
What can you do to improve your fitness for Major Surgery?
We know that when you have major surgery, it puts a big strain on your body. However, there are several ways that you can improve your fitness leading up to your surgery, which will help prepare your body for your operation and its recovery
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/enhanced-recovery/
Stop Smoking – even for a short time would benefit your fitness for any surgery, help can be found via http://www.quitsquad.nhs.uk/index.php
Before and after Major Surgery
Cough and Deep Breathing - After surgery taking deep breaths and coughing helps to clear your lungs. This helps the lungs do the vital job of delivering oxygen to the tissues in your body.
Mouth Care - Good mouth healthcare reduces risk of lung complications after major surgery and improves your overall general health.
We want you to concentrate on optimal dental care leading up to your surgery by focussing on:
- Brushing your teeth twice per day for 2 minutes. Make sure you brush the sides of your teeth and along the gum line, especially on the inside surfaces next to your tongue and the roof of your mouth.
- Brush the top of your tongue, as far back as you can comfortably manage.
- Cleaning in between the teeth with either dental floss or bottle brushes.
- Use mouthwash once a day to help control the dental plaque. Also gargle with the mouthwash, to clean the back of your tongue and mouth.
- Consider getting a scale and polish from your dentist.
This process of good dental healthcare should continue in hospital after your surgery.
Get out of bed - Getting out of bed and mobilising early after surgery is extremely important and will help prevent numerous complications. It will help clear secretions from your lungs and reduce your risk of lung infection, improve your circulation so that you may regain your strength and improve your gut's function. However, there is often patient concern about doing harm by moving soon after surgery, and anxiety about how sore the pain from surgery will be.
Steps to getting out of bed:
- It is safe and very important-we will reassure and support you
- We will aim to mobilise you into your own chair at least twice per day
- Manage your pain - Pain management is very important to us and we have a specialised pain team to help us manage your pain.
Head of Bed Elevated - It is important to keep the head of the bed elevated between 30-45 degrees. Being in an upright position after surgery will help your breathing.
More information about Anaesthesia can be found here:
https://www.rcoa.ac.uk/node/1848
https://www.rcoa.ac.uk/patients-and-relatives
Clinical Director
Dr Jess Heaps (MBChB FRCA)
Deputy Clinical Director
Dr Matthew Tuner (MBChB FRCA)
Clinical Director for Intensive Care
Dr Haroon Waqar-Uddin (FRCA FFICM) – Intensive Care
General Manager
Mrs Joanne Preston
Key Contacts
Anaesthetic Consultants at ELHT
We have 55 consultants, 3 Specialist Anaesthetists, 24 trainees (varied), 11 Specialty Doctors and 2 Senior Clinical Fellows
Dr Matthew Atkinson (MBChB, FRCA, FFICM)
Intensive Care
Specialist Interests: Airway Lead, College Tutor ICU
Dr Mohammed Akuji (MBChB FRCA)
Specialist interests: General, Obstetrics
Dr Kate Beresford (MBChB FRCA)
Specialist Interest: Obstetric, Cardioversion
Dr Tom Bower
Specialist Interests:
Dr Stephanie Bowler (FRCA MBChB BSc(Anatomy)
Specialist Interests: Obstetric lead,Paediatric, Simulation for Medical Education, General
Dr Matthew Bigwood
Specialist Interests:
Dr Karen Butler (MBChB FRCA)
Specialist Interests: College Tutor, ECT Lead, Obstetrics
Dr Tine Calow (FRCA)
Specialist Interests: Robotic Urology, Orthopaedic
Dr Chandra Chandrasekaran (FRCA)
Specialist Interests: Obstetrics, Trauma, Orthopaedics, ECT
Dr Tim Clarke (FRCA)
Specialist Interests: ACSA Lead, NAP6 Lead, Hepatobiliary, Trauma, Regional Anaesthesia
Dr Sri Chukkumbotla (FRCA FFICM)
Intensive Care
Specialist Interests: Trust Research Lead, Perioperative Medicine, General
Dr Ian Clegg (MBChB FRCA)
Specialist Interests: Paediatric Lead, Obstetrics
Dr Stephen Costigan (MBChB FRCA)
Specialist Interests: Governance lead, HPB
Dr Iain Crossingham (MRCP FFICM)
Intensive Care
Specialist Interests: Respiratory Medicine
Dr Paul Dean (MBChB BSc FRCA FFICM)
Intensive Care
Specialist Interests: Emergency Anaesthesia, Clinical Lead – Deteriorating Patients, Clinical Lead – Sepsis, Quality Improvement
Dr Sylvia Dick (FRCA)
Specialist Interests: General, ECT
Dr David Freeman (FRCA MBChB)
Specialist Interests: Equipment Lead, Maxillofacial Surgery, HPB, General
Dr Tom Garth
Specialist Interests:
Dr Mohammed Hatab
Specialist Interests:
Dr Anna Herbert
Specialist Interests:
Dr Nadeem Iqbal (MBBS FRCA MCPS)
Specialist Interests: Obstetric, Vascular, Day Case, Gynaecology
Dr Damien Joseph (FRCA)
Specialist Interests: Obstetric, General
Dr Nasser Khan
Specialist Interests:
Dr Anton Krige (MBChB DIMC FRCA FFICM) (Director R&D) – Intensive Care
Specialist Interests: Hepatobiliary, Major Colorectal, CPET Perioperative Research, Quality Improvement
Dr Sushil Kumar (FRCA)
Specialist Interests: Obstetric, Trauma, Orthopaedic
Dr Anu Kurvey (FRCA)
Specialist Interests: ENT, General
Less than Full Time Champion for Trainees
Dr Jason Lie (BSc(MedSci) MBChB FRCA)
Specialist Interests: Remi PCA Lead, Obstetric, Regional Anaesthesia, Orthopaedic, Maxillo-Facial
USSPINE Workshop organiser, NWRAG Link Consultant, Sustainability lead
Dr Kate Lloyd
Specialist Interest:
Dr Helen Makin (FRCA FFICM) – Intensive Care
Specialist Interests: General, Rota master
Dr Aji Mathew (MBBS,FRCA)
Specialist Interests: Orthopaedic, Regional Anaesthesia
Dr Peter McDermott (FRCA FFICM) – Intensive Care
Specialist Interests: ECT, Hepatobiliary, General, Echocardiography
Dr Gemma McIntosh
Specialist Interests:
Dr Alistair Millar (MBChB, FRCA)
Specialist Interests: CPET, Paediatrics , Obstetrics, Perioperative Medicine
Dr Dean Nash
Specialist Interest:
Dr Gus Nelhubel (FRCA)
Specialist Interests: Trauma, Orthopaedic, Regional Anaesthesia
Dr Natthew Newport
Specialist Interest:
Dr Liam O’Neill (FRCA)
Specialist Interests: Maxillo-Facial, General
Dr Danielle Ormandy (MBChB FRCA)
Specialist Interests: Maxillo-Facial Surgery, Paediatrics
Dr Bryony Patrick
Specialist Interests:
Dr David Perry
Specialist Interests:
Dr Katherine Phillips
Specialist Interest:
Dr Michael Pollard
Specialist Interests: Hepatobiliary, Obstetrics, Perioperative medicine
Dr David Rawlinson (FRCA)
Specialist Interests: Maxillo-Facial, General
Dr Dominic Sebastian (FRCA FFICM) – Intensive Care
Specialist Interests: Divisional Medical Director, General, Hepatobiliary
Dr Helen Simmons (MBChB FRCA)
Specialist Interests: NELA Lead, General, Urology
UCLAN School of Medicine Undergraduate Simulation Tutor
Dr Andy Shannon (MBChB FCARCSI)
Specialist Interests: Obstetric Lead, Trauma, Regional Anaesthesia, Clinical Lead for ePR Development
Dr Rob Shawcross (FRCA FFICM) – Intensive Care
Specialist Interests: Rota master, ECT, General
Dr Ioana Simonescu (FRCA)
Specialist Interests: Vascular, General
Dr Adam Slack (MBChB FRCA)
Specialist Interests: Medicines Management, Transfusion lead, General, Vascular
Dr James Small (FRCA)
Specialist Interests:
Dr Matt Smith (FRCA FFICM)-Intensive Care
Specialist Interest: Dialysis Lead
Dr Ian Stanley (MBBChir MA(Cantab) FRCA FFICM) – Intensive Care
Specialist Interests: Deputy Trust Medical Director, Multi-Professional Education, Workforce Transformation, Medical Education
Dr Sofia Thorell
Specialist Interest:
Dr Steven Tran (MBChB FRCA)
Specialist Interests: Perioperative Medicine Lead, Simulation Lead
Dr David Trotter (MBChB FRCA)
Specialist Interests: College Tutor, Obstetric, Maxillo-Facial
Dr Nick Truman (MB ChB, FRCA)
Specialist Interests: Research Lead
Dr Jim Watts (FRCA, FFICM)- Intensive Care
Specialist Interests: Colorectal
Dr Richard Yardley
Specialist Interest:
Specialist Anaesthetists & Associate Specialists
Dr Asif Gani
Dr Zsolt Kovacsai
Dr Matthew Rostron
Speciality Doctors
Dr Kumud Bhandari
Dr Richard Colebrook
Dr Marek Frenkiel
Dr Abhinav Prakash
Dr Amr Elsherbeny
Dr Mohammed Elrayes
Dr Omar Faruq
Dr Josh Gray
Dr Matthew Rostron
Dr Johanna Samar
Dr Sanjiv Sharma
Dr Hitendra Mahajan
Anaesthesia Associates
Anaesthesia associates (Physicians Associates in Anaesthesia) are highly trained healthcare professionals who work as part of the anaesthetic team. They support anaesthetists in preparing and delivering anaesthesia, monitoring patients during procedures, and ensuring comfort and safety before, during, and after surgery. Working under the supervision of a consultant anaesthetist, they play an important role in providing high-quality, patient-centred care.
Jak Doherty PGAPS
Tom Hubberstey PGAPS
Will Sharples PGAPS
Other relevant information
Anaesthetics are given to allow patients to undergo operations and medical procedures without distress.
The word anaesthesia means ‘loss of sensation’. It can involve a simple local anaesthetic injection which numbs a small part of the body, such as a finger or around a tooth. It can also involve using powerful drugs which cause unconsciousness.
These drugs also affect the function of the heart, the lungs and the circulation. As a result, general anaesthesia is only given under the close supervision of an anaesthetist, who is trained to consider the best way to give you an effective anaesthetic but also to keep you safe and well.
The drugs used in anaesthesia work by blocking the signals that pass along your nerves to your brain. When the drugs wear off, you start to feel normal sensation again.