pre-op-uk

Thank you for joining us in Manchester!

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 16:33:51 GMT

Our 2026 Annual Conference Highlights

Dear Colleagues,

Thank You for Joining Us

Thank you to everyone who joined us for this year’s Annual Conference in Manchester. It was a pleasure to bring together a community of anaesthetists, nurses and pharmacists who share a common goal of improving preoperative care.

It is always inspiring to see colleagues from across the country come together to share insights from their preoperative assessment clinics and pathways. The quality of discussion, engagement throughout the sessions, and willingness to exchange ideas truly reflected the strength and dedication of our professional community.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, we extend our sincere thanks to all the speakers, workshop facilitators, sponsors and organisers whose contributions made the event both informative and inspiring.

Presentation slides and session recordings will soon be available to members on our website.

Award Winners

Oral Presentations
Winner: Roseann Murray, St James Hospital, Dublin, Ireland

Runner-up: Alison Hare & Fiona Glarvey, Wrexham Maelor Hospital, Wrexham

Poster Presentations
Winner: Zachary Place, Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, London

Runner-up: Laura Powell, Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Gloucester

Infographics Competition
Winner: Sally Hargreaves, Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Sponsor Competition
Winner: Dr Kompal Jain, West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

Congratulations to all our winners and presenters for their excellent contributions.

Research Survey - your input matters

If you attended the Annual Conference last week, please don’t forget to complete our research survey on Preoperative Assessment Consent.

Whether you are a nurse, doctor or pharmacist, your clinical insight is extremely valuable. We aim to better understand current service models and the practical implications of introducing anaesthesia consent into the preoperative pathway.

Your feedback will help us:

Shape future practice
Support publication of our findings
Share important insights with our members and the wider NHS

Please take a few moments to complete the survey.

Join us for our next Webinar - 15th January 2026, 7-8pm

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 15:28:32 GMT

The second in our new series of webinars is FREE to members.

Find out about our membership benefits here

Join us:

Determination & communication of risk & uncertainty to the high-risk person considering surgery

15th January 2026, 7-8pm

The second webinar in this series concerns the determination and communication of risk and uncertainty to the high-risk person considering surgery.

As part of the informed consent process, patients should have a determination of their individual risk completed and communicated to them. The perioperative journey is uncertain, and areas which are unknowable must be discussed with patients. The areas of risk and uncertainty are difficult to approach with patients and healthcare professionals lacking a shared understanding. This webinar discusses this pertinent issue through the medium of the case series, offering practical pointers which participants can incorporate into their practice.

Medical Doctors (Consultants/Non-consultant/Trainee) : £19.99

AHPS (Nurses/Pharmacists/Managers/Administrative Staff) : £9.99

Guest Speaker

Dr Catherine Meilak

Consultant Geriatrician

Catherine has been a POPS consultant for 7 years, currently at the East Kent University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and has set up new POPS services in 2 trusts with the support of her colleagues at Guys and St Thomas’ Hospital.

Data collected on the services set up has shown improvements in length of stay, unplanned readmission rates and advance care planning.

Her area of interest is shared decision-making, supporting true patient-centred care, and maximising patient satisfaction with their surgical decisions.

Preoperative Assessment Foundation Courses arrive in Glasgow for 2026!

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 12:53:47 GMT

We’re heading to Glasgow in 2026.

To make our courses even more accessible across the UK, we are adding a brand-new Scottish venue in the heart of Glasgow city centre.

Who's it for?

Band 5–6 nurses in POA (NHS or independent) and allied professionals (e.g., pharmacists, ODPs).

Who's teaches it?

Preoperative Association Education Faculty—an inter-professional team of national experts (nurses, anaesthetists, pharmacists).

Format

Three days of face-to-face, small-group teaching with cases and problem-solving to consolidate Foundation content.

What you'll cover

Evidence-based practice & current guidelines
Core POA nursing skills & competencies
History taking; recognising anaesthetic issues
Medication management (incl. herbal)
Lifestyle, prehabilitation, obesity & OSA
Cardiac & respiratory conditions
Common comorbidities: diabetes, anaemia, hypertension
Airway assessment & chest auscultation
Blood results & ECG interpretation (incl. abnormal findings)
Identifying high-risk patients & referral pathways
Pharmacy challenges
Scenario-based interactive sessions

What our delegates say:

"Teachers were incredibly supportive, skilled explaining different challenges. Their ability to breakdown the topics and make us understand the complexity of the cases."

"I will strongly recommend to my clinical lead that all staff attend this course and I very much hope to attend the advanced course. Thank you all so much!"

"Thank you for conducting such preoperative courses, which cover every aspects of pre-op , I am also looking forward to enrolling for the masters course in pre-op."

"The content and delivery were exceptional. The lecturers were quite clearly passionate about the topic and it was wonderful to be brought together with so many like-minded people"

Register today for our Annual National Conference!

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 10:45:10 GMT

Connect, Innovate & Collaborate

REGISTER TODAY

The Annual National Conference 2026

March 9th 2026 / The Manchester Deansgate Hotel

Don't miss our Annual National conference!

Join us at The Manchester Deansgate Hotel on 9th March, where we gather to share insights and shape the future of perioperative medicine. Our Annual Conference will provide a vibrant platform for collaboration, innovation, and discussion.

This is an essential opportunity for surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses, pharmacists and allied health professionals to collaborate, share knowledge, and elevate standards across the perioperative pathway.

This year's program will feature:

In-depth presentations on emerging challenges and innovative solutions by renowned speakers.
Interactive Workshops and discussion panels.
Networking opportunities with peers and leaders.

Conference Topics

Green Anaesthesia: Sustainability and Reducing Environmental Impact in Preoperative Assessment
Paul Southall, Consultant Anaesthetist and RCoA National Sustainability Lead, Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
Perioperative Optimisation: embedding CPOC's top 7 Interventions to improve patient outcomes
Claire Frank, Lead Preoperative Pharmacist and CPOC Fellow 2024/25, Wrexham Maelor Hospital
Frailty and Delirium
Claire Swarbrick, ST6 Anaesthetic Registrar and National Trainee Lead for SNAP-3, Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Medicolegal and ethical considerations in preoperative assessment
Megan Smith, Consultant Anaesthetist & Medicolegal Expert Witness
Perioperative management of GLP-1RAs & SGLT2Is
Perioperative management of immunotherapy and advancing cancer treatments
Pharmacogenomics in anaesthesia
Ned Gilbert-Kawai, Consultant in Anaesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, Royal Liverpool University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Preoperative risk assessment with wearable technology
Alexander Hunter, ST7 Anaesthetics Registrar, Somerset NHS Foundation Trust

Workshops

Gastric ultrasound in preoperative assessment
Rosie Hogg, Consultant anaesthetist at Belfast Health & Social Care Trust
Introduction to CPET interpretation
Dr Antonia Snell, Consultant anaesthetist at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Spirometry interpretation in preoperative assessment
Christina Reihill, Consultant Nurse at University Hospital Birmingham & Lee Wadsworth, RGN
Integrating pharmacy in preoperative assessment: Introduction of the pharmacy toolkit
Sarah Tinsley, Consultant Pharmacist at Royal Stoke University Hospital; Anjna Patel, Principal Pharmacist at Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital & Claire Frank, Lead Preoperative Pharmacist at Wrexham Maelor Hospital

Card payments

Invoice only payments

Invoice payments available until 7th February 2026

Join us for our next Webinar - 3rd December 2025, 7-8pm

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 11:06:19 GMT

The first in our new series of webinars is FREE and OPEN TO ALL.
Future webinars will be free for members only

Find out about our membership benefits here

Join us:

Perioperative Medicine for Older People: The POPS approach

3rd December 2025, 7-8pm

The Preoperative Association is delighted to introduce a series of webinars, designed to support anaesthetic trainees with meeting learning outcomes from the RCoA syllabus. The first webinar in this series concerns the perioperative assessment and care of the older person being considered for surgery.

The perioperative care of people with frailty and multi-morbidity should be tailored to support their individual needs. This is an area all perioperative physicians will encounter as the volume of surgery performed on this population is growing. The POPS (Perioperative Care for Older People Undergoing Surgery) approach espouses the early integration of geriatricians into the care of the older person considering surgery and the utilisation of CGA (Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment) methodology. This webinar aims to share experience and guidance for incorporating POPS principles into perioperative planning for older patients. Anaesthetic consultants, non-consultants, nurses and pharmacists are also welcome to attend.

Guest Speaker

Prof. Jugdeep Dhesi

PhD FRCP

Consultant Geriatrician

Jugdeep established the innovative award-winning POPS service at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.

She is President of the British Geriatrics
Society, Deputy Director at the Centre for Perioperative Care, Honorary Professor
at King’s College London, and Associate
Professor at UCL. Her research spans
preoperative assessment, health
services, and postoperative delirium.

Jugdeep has extensive experience in
guiding and advising groups like NELA, RCoA, BGS, NICE, EuGMS, and ANZCA. Jugdeep has developed training programs in perioperative medicine, co-authored e-learning and MSc modules.

The Preoperative Association Research & Project Grant

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 12:18:36 GMT

The Preoperative Association Research & Project Grant

The Preoperative Association Research and Project Grant offers financial support to individuals or teams aiming to enhance preoperative assessment practice in the UK.

This grant is awarded up to a limit of £15,000 to cover all, or part costs, for projects in the field of preoperative medicine, including but not limited to:

research initiatives
travel expenses
local practice development within preoperative assessment

Recipients of the grant will be required to share their experiences and project outcomes at The Preoperative Association Annual National Conference , promoting shared learning and educational advancement within the field.

Applicants can be any member of the multidisciplinary team involved in preoperative assessment, including doctors, nursing staff, pharmacists, allied health professionals, and managers. Both individuals and entire teams are eligible to apply for the grant, with the number of awards granted being determined at the discretion of The Preoperative Association Board of Trustees.

Join our latest Webinar: Acute Heart Failure in Non-Cardiac Surgery: Insights from the New ESC Clinical Consensus Statement

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 12:05:53 GMT

BECOME A MEMBER TODAY TO JOIN OUR WEBINARS FOR FREE.

Find out about our membership benefits here.

Join us for our next WEBINAR

Acute Heart Failure in Non-Cardiac Surgery: Insights from the New ESC Clinical Consensus Statement.

9th October 2025, 7-8pm

Join us for a focused look at the new clinical consensus statement on acute heart failure after non-cardiac surgery, published in August 2025 by the Association for Acute CardioVascular Care & the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology.

This webinar will provide a concise summary of the latest evidence on the pathophysiology, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of acute heart failure.

We will cover key strategies for vigilant postoperative care, the role of cardiac biomarkers and echocardiography, and how to apply this new guidance to help improve patient outcomes.

Guest Speaker

DR NELSON AMARAL

MD(Res) PhD MRCP Consultant Cardiologist

Dr. Amaral brings a unique perspective to perioperative cardiac management, having initially trained as an anaesthetist before specialising in cardiology. His subsequent subspecialty training in heart failure and cardiac imaging provides him with distinct expertise in the cardiac assessment and management of patients undergoing surgery.

Join our Free Webinar: Perioperative Heart Failure Management

Tue, 20 May 2025 14:51:16 GMT

Our first Preoperative Association Webinar is FREE and OPEN TO ALL.

Future webinars will be for our members only.

Join Our Free WEBINAR

Perioperative Heart Failure Management

9th July 2025, 7-8pm

Optimising care for heart failure patients undergoing surgery demands expertise in risk assessment, diagnostics, and medical management.

Our upcoming webinar, "Perioperative Heart Failure Management," led by consultant cardiologist Dr Nelson Amaral, offers focused guidance for doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and all perioperative healthcare professionals.

Learn to:

Enhance preoperative risk stratification
Optimise diagnostic evaluation
Implement effective medical management

Elevate your practice and improve patient outcomes.

Guest Speaker

DR NELSON AMARAL

MD(Res) PhD MRCP Consultant Cardiologist

Launching our new Preoperative Assessment Pharmacist Course in 2026

Wed, 14 May 2025 11:54:02 GMT

Preoperative Assessment Pharmacist Course 2026

For pharmacists working in preoperative assessment

The Preoperative Association is delighted to announce the first ever dedicated course for Preoperative Assessment Pharmacists. This course consists of 2 days of face-to-face small group teaching.

The training will cover the core skills required for effective medicines management and optimisation in the preoperative assessment clinic.

This course is suitable for band 7 or 8a pharmacists working in the field of preoperative assessment, independent or NHS sectors.

15th - 16th January 2026
Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust

BADS Annual Conference 2025

Mon, 12 May 2025 15:40:05 GMT

19th - 20th June 2025

University Place, Manchester

This year’s conference will include sessions on sustainability, robotics, surgical safety, local anaesthetic techniques, safe sedation and human factors in surgery. Workshop sessions will be held on simulation training in regional anaesthesia, fostering psychological safety in the workplace, and complex day case surgery. The full line up of expert speakers includes a number of Professors and a former BADS President.

The conference will also feature the ever-popular free paper sessions and the opportunity to showcase your work in the poster competition. Submit your abstract before the deadline on Friday 11th April.

The first day will finish with an evening networking drinks reception at the conference venue.

We look forward to welcoming you to this event which will take place on Thursday 19th & Friday 20th June 2025

David Bunting , BADS President

Early-bird discounted registration fees are available until May 2, 2025.

Full details of the conference, including how to register, submit an abstract, and an overview of the programme can be found on the BADS website.

Latest Guidelines - Anaemia in the Perioperative Pathway

Mon, 12 May 2025 13:55:17 GMT

Anaemia in the Perioperative Pathway

This CPOC perioperative anaemia guideline (updated 2025) has been developed using a whole pathway approach. It contains recommendations for patients of all ages undergoing surgery and for health care professionals in both emergency and elective surgical settings and across specialties.

The aim of this guideline is to ensure that the patient is at the centre of the whole process, and that everyone involved in their care carries out their individual responsibilities to minimise the risk from anaemia.

Preoperative Assessment Foundation Courses 2025

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 14:33:13 GMT

Preoperative Assessment Foundation Courses 2025

For nurses & AHPs working in Preoperative Assessment

Why attend our face-to-face Foundation Courses?

Small group teaching providing interactive and hands-on learning, with real-time feedback
Networking and shared learning with peers
Practical application and consolidation of learning
Delivered by a highly experienced education faculty
Real-time, tailored guidance and support from education faculty
Suitable for ODPs, all band 5 or 6 nurses working in the field of POA, independent or NHS sectors
Suitable for band 7 or 8a pharmacists developing foundation knowledge in POA

Key Topics
Fundamentals of pre-operative assessment
History taking and risk assessment
Physical examination
Interpretation of pre-operative blood tests and investigations
Management of high-risk surgical patients
Medication management

"Teachers were incredibly supportive, skilled explaining different challenges. Their ability to breakdown the topics and make us understand the complexity of the cases."

"I will strongly recommend to my clinical lead that all staff attend this course and I very much hope to attend the advanced course. Thank you all so much!"

"Thank you for conducting such preoperative courses, which cover every aspects of pre-op , I am also looking forward to enrolling for the masters course in pre-op."

"The content and delivery were exceptional. The lecturers were quite clearly passionate about the topic and it was wonderful to be brought together with so many like-minded people"

Latest Guidelines - Perioperative Management of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea in Adults

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 14:09:10 GMT

Perioperative Management of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea in Adults

Numerous guidelines already exist on the management of adult patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA). The existing information has been brought together and presented in the form of a succinct one-page guide. This guide is intended for use by frontline perioperative care workers ‘on-the-go’ to guide decisions on screening, referral and management of adults in the perioperative period and was updated in March 2025.

Trainee in Anaesthesia? Join our board of trustees

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 08:48:30 GMT

Trainee in Anaesthesia?

Interested in preoperative assessment?
Join our board of trustees

We are looking for a senior trainee to join our Board of Trustees and help support the delivery of high-quality Preoperative Assessment Education. Ideally suited to stage 3 trainee (ST5 and above).

We are looking for a motivated and enthusiastic trainee anaesthetist to join the association's board of trustees and contribute to the association's wide-ranging activity relating to standard setting, education, and quality improvement.

The role would be suited to an ST4+ trainee with an interest in perioperative medicine and specifically preoperative assessment.

You should be able to:

Attend 3 (currently remote) half-day board meetings annually.
Attend and contribute to the organisation of the in-person association annual conference.
Contribute to the association's educational and CPD activity.

This is an ideal opportunity to gain experience and evidence competencies relevant to management, leadership and education, working within a friendly and welcoming multidisciplinary national committee.

Join our Educational Faculty

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 10:33:32 GMT

Join our Educational Faculty

Interested in preoperative assessment?

We are looking to develop and expand our Educational Faculty. Experienced in Preop assessment? Interested in teaching? Join the Preoperative Association Education Faculty.

We currently run foundation courses in Preop assessment and are launching a university masters module, and you could be part of this exciting opportunity.

Open to anyone with interest and experience in preop.

New: Paediatric Pre-Assessment Practitioner Course

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 14:03:58 GMT

PPOC (Paediatric Perioperative Care)

Paediatric Pre-Assessment Practitioner course

The preoperative association is proud to be working in collaboration with PPOC to support training in paediatric preoperative assessment. Please follow the link below for more details on this free training course.

The competency-based Paediatric Pre-Assessment Practitioner course is based on the APAGBI national guidance. The course enables nurses to acquire the required knowledge, experience and skills to assess children and escalate concerns as required, prior to elective surgery. The course is delivered at no cost, by a faculty of paediatric anaesthetists, specialist nurses, legal advisors, safeguarding teams, and educators. Please follow the link for individual ODN contact information

Please follow the link for individual ODN contact information.

PQIP Webinar - March 21st 2024 | 12.30

Thu, 07 Mar 2024 15:32:27 GMT

PQIP Webinar: Risk prediction and shared decision making in perioperative care

Date/Time: March 21st 2024, 12.30pm

Location: Online Zoom

Following on from their insightful discussion on perioperative pain, join PQIP on March 21st for their next PQIP collaborative webinar. This time, focussing on the important subject of risk prediction and shared decision making in perioperative care.

Individualised risk assessment before surgery can be complex, but it is one of the most important aspects of perioperative care. It allows us to plan the perioperative pathway, supports shared decision-making between us and our patients, and is a key PQIP improvement priority.

We will be joined by an expert panel of speakers who will share up-to-date research from PQIP and the wider field of perioperative care and provide actionable ways to better predict risk for the benefit of our patients.

TRIPOM 2023: The Patient’s Perioperative Journey - Friday 29th September

Tue, 22 Aug 2023 14:43:13 GMT

TRIPOM 2023: The Patient’s Perioperative Journey

Friday 29th September 2023

Spaces at The Spine, 2 Paddington Village, Liverpool

Join TRIPOM for an exciting event - TRIPOM 2023, supported by CPOC.

Discover innovative approaches and technologies that are revolutionising the field of perioperative care. From preoperative assessments to postoperative recovery and a live CPET, TRIPOM will cover every aspect of the patient's journey. Whether you're a nurse, medic, surgeon, anaesthetist or other healthcare professional, this event offers something for everyone.

Proposed Programme:

Innovative pre-op optimisation programmes
Peri-operative frailty and delirium
Digital technology in peri-operative medicine
Pre-habilitation: The surgeon's perspective
The marriage of AI in healthcare

Poster competition
Submit your own work - any related peri-operative related work - original research, audit, QI or case study.

Discounted rate until 31st August - £10

PQIP DrEaMing Webinar and Report launch - 11 July 2023

Mon, 26 Jun 2023 10:19:29 GMT

PQIP DrEaMing Webinar and Report launch

Date/Time: 11 July 2023 1:00PM – 2:00PM

Location: On line

You may be interested in the launch of the fourth PQIP cohort report, with a focus on up-to-date evidence on preoperative care.

Over 46,000 patients have been recruited, with the three key themes running through the new report being: reducing complications and length of stay after surgery, simplifying enhanced recovery and promoting teamwork, including with patients.

Find out about the national improvement highs and lows, the current research from the PQIP database, and the new top five priorities based on the PQIP data recommended for local PQIP teams.

Expert Professor Mary Dixon-Woods will be speaking. Director of THIS institute and the Health Foundation Professor of Healthcare Improvement Studies in the Department of Public Health and Primary Care at the University of Cambridge.

Prof Dixon-Wood’s research focuses on generating a high-quality evidence base to support improvement in the organisation, quality, and safety of healthcare. She will discuss her area of expertise in fostering collaboration to support sustainable quality improvement.

Programme:

PQIP cohort report launch 2021-2023, including an update on the DrEaMing CQUIN

Welcome from Dr Henry Murdoch, President of The Preoperative Association

Fri, 06 Jan 2023 14:00:59 GMT

As we welcome in 2023, it seems an opportune moment to introduce myself and share some of the exciting developments within our association.

This year I received the great honour of being elected president of your Pre-op Association. I have spent the last 9 years of my consultant post working in Gloucestershire within Preop assessment on service development, training and research. As a member of the POA throughout, I understand fully the value of being a member and see this as a fantastic opportunity to give something back to the association.

Whilst a great honour, I admit some trepidation as I have some very big shoes to fill. Dr Rob Hill, in his second stint as president, has overseen and driven some seismic changes for the benefit of the association. For this, we have much to be grateful and I’d personally like to offer a huge thank you to Rob for all his hard work.

It is with great pleasure that I can now an also announce, that following years of hard work by Rob and the council, the Preop Association has been granted charitable status. This will allow us more freedom to shape the future of our Preop association.

As such, we will be advertising for new members to join the newly formed board of trustees. We have a fantastic opportunity to further develop our nurse training courses, support research within perioperative medicine, expand the resources for our members and strengthen links with allied societies.

For the first time, our annual conference will now be held in Spring, this year on 6th March 2023 at the RCP. Calls for additional abstracts remain open.

We have expanded the number of venues for the Foundation Courses for Nurses 2023 to include Cheltenham, Liverpool and Chichester with more details and dates to follow.

Our website remains a valuable information resource (which we hope to expand with a repository of guidelines), links to the latest Nursing Skills for Preoperative Assessment (published 2022) and evidenced-based guidelines for Preoperative Assessment Units across the country.

I very much look forward to welcoming you all to the conference in March and urge you to consider joining us on the board to help shape the future of our fantastic charity.

Dr Henry Murdoch | President of the Preoperative Association

Can you help shape the future of The Preoperative Association?

Wed, 05 Jan 2022 14:35:01 GMT

The Preoperative Association (POA) is looking for members to join the Council to help shape the future of Preoperative Assessment.

The following vacancies are available:

Consultant Anaesthetist
Trainee Anaesthetist
Nurse
Allied healthcare professional

The POA works tirelessly towards providing training programmes, competency frameworks & evidence-based guidelines, all carefully constructed, designed and delivered in order to assist inter-professional teams working across the POA disciplines.

The POA also designs & delivers an annual national conference with expert speakers & presenters delivering exciting & innovative topics from across the medical, surgical & therapeutic fields.

Do you have the drive, energy & commitment to contribute 6-10 days per annum to meetings & courses?

Are you keen to support the work that goes on behind the scenes on continuing to develop this specialist field?

Please write to the POA with a brief summary of what you would bring to the Council, including your experience, employment history and how long you have been a member. Please limit your application to a single side of A4.

Please include the following with your application:

Name
Job title
Hospital Address
Email
Mobile
POA Membership year commenced

Closing date: 5pm on 4th February 2022

We look forward to hearing from you.

Dr Rob Hill - President of The Preoperative Association

New Guidelines for Perioperative Care of People Living with Frailty

Mon, 18 Oct 2021 16:21:48 GMT

The scope of this guideline covers all aspects of perioperative care relevant to adults living with frailty undergoing elective and emergency surgery.

It is written for healthcare professionals involved in delivering care throughout the pathway, as well as for patients and their carers, managers and commissioners.

Our new website is live!

Thu, 19 Aug 2021 15:02:07 GMT

After some months of hard work and dedication, we are delighted to officially share the new site, which we wanted to be faster, easier to navigate and more user-friendly.

We are very excited to announce the launch of our newly designed website. It is important for us to make information regarding The Preoperative Association accessible for both our members and non-members. We strive to provide our members with the most accurate, up-to-date information and share our knowledge and expertise in the field of preoperative medicine.

Our goal with this new website is to provide our visitors an easier way to learn about The Preoperative Association and quickly find useful information and resources. We will be constantly updating our content with helpful information and educational events. Soon you will also be able to sign-up to our monthly newsletter.

See our latest edition of The Preoperative Association’s Evidence-based Guidelines for Preoperative Assessment Units: A Practical Guide 2021 Edition here

Find out more and register for our Virtual Study Day - Interpretation of Routine Preoperative Investigations for nurses on 7th October here

We would like to thank our council members who have given their time and energy to make this site what it is. For any questions, suggestions, feedback or comments, please email us. Thank You!

COVID-19 Guidance

Wed, 18 Aug 2021 14:54:56 GMT

UKHSA publishes new recommendations for COVID-19 infection prevention and control

UKHSA has recommended 3 pragmatic changes to the current management of COVID-19 IPC measures, with a focus on elective care.

Information, guidance and resources for Coronavirus (COVID-19)

The Centre for Perioperative Care provides guidance for clinicians from all CPOC's partner organisations and details guidance for patients

RCoA releases CPOC 'From Waiting Lists to Preparation Lists' Podcast

Sun, 01 Aug 2021 14:49:39 GMT

With over 5 million people now waiting for surgery in England alone, there has never been a more pressing time to consider creative ways that will help us beat the backlog while also delivering better, person-centred care for patients.

In this podcast, CPOC’s Director Dr David Selwyn interviews CPOC Deputy Directors Dr Jugdeep Dhesi and Mrs Scarlett McNally along with CPOC’s Patient Representative Lawrence Mudford about how to turn waiting lists for surgery into preparation lists.

New Guidelines for Preoperative Assessment and Optimisation for Adult Surgery

Tue, 15 Jun 2021 14:56:57 GMT

The Centre for Perioperative Care have released new guidelines in June 2021 for Preoperative Assessment and Optimisation for Adult Surgery.

The guideline contains key recommendations for:

commissioners
NHS X
primary care providers
surgeons, anaesthetists and multidiscilinary teams
preoperative assessment services

pre-op-uk

Thank you for joining us in Manchester!

Our 2026 Annual Conference Highlights

Join us for our next Webinar - 15th January 2026, 7-8pm

15th January 2026, 7-8pm

AHPS (Nurses/Pharmacists/Managers/Administrative Staff) : £9.99

Preoperative Assessment Foundation Courses arrive in Glasgow for 2026!

We’re heading to Glasgow in 2026.

To make our courses even more accessible across the UK, we are adding a brand-new Scottish venue in the heart of Glasgow city centre.

Register today for our Annual National Conference!

Connect, Innovate & Collaborate

The Annual National Conference 2026

Conference Topics

Workshops

Join us for our next Webinar - 3rd December 2025, 7-8pm

3rd December 2025, 7-8pm

The Preoperative Association Research & Project Grant

The Preoperative Association Research & Project Grant

The Preoperative Association Research and Project Grant offers financial support to individuals or teams aiming to enhance preoperative assessment practice in the UK.

This grant is awarded up to a limit of £15,000 to cover all, or part costs, for projects in the field of preoperative medicine, including but not limited to:

Join our latest Webinar: Acute Heart Failure in Non-Cardiac Surgery: Insights from the New ESC Clinical Consensus Statement

9th October 2025, 7-8pm

Join our Free Webinar: Perioperative Heart Failure Management

Our first Preoperative Association Webinar is FREE and OPEN TO ALL.

Future webinars will be for our members only.

9th July 2025, 7-8pm

Launching our new Preoperative Assessment Pharmacist Course in 2026

Preoperative Assessment Pharmacist Course 2026

15th - 16th January 2026 Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust

BADS Annual Conference 2025

19th - 20th June 2025

University Place, Manchester

Latest Guidelines - Anaemia in the Perioperative Pathway

Anaemia in the Perioperative Pathway

Preoperative Assessment Foundation Courses 2025

Preoperative Assessment Foundation Courses 2025

For nurses & AHPs working in Preoperative Assessment

Latest Guidelines - Perioperative Management of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea in Adults

Perioperative Management of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea in Adults

Trainee in Anaesthesia? Join our board of trustees

Trainee in Anaesthesia?

Join our Educational Faculty

Join our Educational Faculty

New: Paediatric Pre-Assessment Practitioner Course

PPOC (Paediatric Perioperative Care)

PQIP Webinar - March 21st 2024 | 12.30

PQIP Webinar: Risk prediction and shared decision making in perioperative care

TRIPOM 2023: The Patient’s Perioperative Journey - Friday 29th September

TRIPOM 2023: The Patient’s Perioperative Journey

PQIP DrEaMing Webinar and Report launch - 11 July 2023

PQIP DrEaMing Webinar and Report launch

Welcome from Dr Henry Murdoch, President of The Preoperative Association

As we welcome in 2023, it seems an opportune moment to introduce myself and share some of the exciting developments within our association.

Can you help shape the future of The Preoperative Association?

The Preoperative Association (POA) is looking for members to join the Council to help shape the future of Preoperative Assessment.

The following vacancies are available:

Closing date: 5pm on 4th February 2022

We look forward to hearing from you. Dr Rob Hill - President of The Preoperative Association

New Guidelines for Perioperative Care of People Living with Frailty

The scope of this guideline covers all aspects of perioperative care relevant to adults living with frailty undergoing elective and emergency surgery.

Our new website is live!

After some months of hard work and dedication, we are delighted to officially share the new site, which we wanted to be faster, easier to navigate and more user-friendly.

COVID-19 Guidance

UKHSA publishes new recommendations for COVID-19 infection prevention and control

Information, guidance and resources for Coronavirus (COVID-19)

RCoA releases CPOC 'From Waiting Lists to Preparation Lists' Podcast

With over 5 million people now waiting for surgery in England alone, there has never been a more pressing time to consider creative ways that will help us beat the backlog while also delivering better, person-centred care for patients.

New Guidelines for Preoperative Assessment and Optimisation for Adult Surgery

The Centre for Perioperative Care have released new guidelines in June 2021 for Preoperative Assessment and Optimisation for Adult Surgery.

15th - 16th January 2026
Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust

We look forward to hearing from you.

Dr Rob Hill - President of The Preoperative Association