Pre-op & Surgery Pre-assessment - Stockport NHS Trust

About our service

Welcome to the pre-operative assessment service for Adults and Young People aged 16 and over. Our team work with all the different surgical specialities to ensure that all patients having elective surgery under general anaesthetic or sedation are assessed, prepared, and fully informed about their forthcoming procedure. Before having any surgical procedure at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, you must first undergo a pre operative assessment. This could be face to face or could be over the telephone depending on the complexity of surgery and your personal healthcare needs.

If your consultant thinks you need surgery, you will be added to the surgical waiting list. A member of our team will be in touch to arrange a convenient time for you to have your pre-op assessment, usually within the weeks before your surgery.

This assessment consists of undertaking or reviewing tests such as blood tests, heart tracing (ECG), blood pressure checks, urine samples and measuring your height and weight. If you have recently had tests undertaken in a GP or outpatient clinic, the team may be able to review these results to save them being repeated.

During your consultation, the team will ask you a series of questions to find out more about you and your general health. Our highly and specially trained nurses use this information to assess whether you are fit for surgery and to make plans for any special arrangements that may need to be made to prepare you for admission to hospital. If you are not fit for surgery at this time, we will arrange for you to receive the necessary tests or treatment to improve your health wherever possible.

Our expertise

Our nursing team undergo intensive training to enable them to independently assess patients’ fitness for surgery. They have regular training from consultant anaesthetists – and other specialist doctors and are constantly expanding their skills.

This means that our patients can be assured of a high quality of service from a skilled and knowledgeable nursing team, and that you can be confident that we are doing everything possible to ensure you have a smooth and safe surgical experience.

Preparing for your visit

Before your visit

Remember to always bring your tablets or a copy of your prescription with you when you come to hospital. You will be asked about what medications you are taking, if any, during the pre op assessment.

During your visit

Your preoperative assessment can last anything from 15 minutes to an hour, depending on the type of surgery you are having and your general health. If you require tests to be undertaken by the pre-op assessment team, we will usually take all your tests in one visit but occasionally we may need you to come back for more advanced tests (such as heart scans) or to see a consultant anaesthetist.

After your visit

We will send all your information to the waiting list team, who will then start to plan your surgery date for you. We will give you contact details so that you can get in touch with them if you have any questions or if you need to let us know about any changes in your health.

Just by following eight simple steps, you can help keep yourself safe during your stay in hospital. By watching the following short Patient Safety Briefing video, this will help to make your stay with us safe.