Annex A > Chapter 13 - Pre-operative Care > Pre-operative management of care > Further assessment of the clinical condition of children admitted for elective surgery following admission to the BRHSC
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Further assessment of the clinical condition of children admitted for elective surgery following admission to the BRHSC
16 Dr Joffe told the Inquiry that children admitted to the BRHSC for elective closed-heart surgery:
`... would be under the care of Mr Wisheart or Mr Dhasmana. However, these patients would be assessed by one or other of the consultant paediatric cardiologists during their twice daily ward round, which reviewed medical and pre- and post-operative surgical patients as a routine.' [18]
`These patients were admitted by the paediatric SHO attached to the cardiology team, and were also examined by the paediatric cardiologists during their ward round and, of course, I would be seeing patients and parents again before surgery ... anaesthetists also saw patients as part of their pre-operative check-up.' [19]
`The pre-operative assessment is usually done to confirm the original diagnosis and the absence of any intercurrent illness in an elective patient. One was always conscious of the possibility of the development and evolution of sequelae of the congenital abnormality in elective patients. Between 1984-1995 this possibility was generally of decreasing significance which I believe is due to the fact that children were being operated on at an increasingly early age.' [20]
19 Mr Wisheart said that these patients admitted to the BRHSC:
`... were reassessed both by the consultants and the junior doctors within paediatric cardiology and also by the consultant and the registrar in paediatric cardiac surgery. The child was assessed by the anaesthetists, but this would probably be for the first time.' [21]
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Footnotes
[18] WIT 0097 0296 - 0297 Dr Joffe
[19] WIT 0084 0066 Mr Dhasmana
[20] WIT 0120 0149 Mr Wisheart
[21] WIT 0120 0127 Mr Wisheart