Prehospital anaesthesia in the UK: position statement.

Prehospital anaesthesia is carried out regularly by a small number of prehospital care practitioners in the UK. Although mostly predictable, prehospital disorders can be more difficult than those in hospital, and, in addition, peer and skilled anaesthetic assistance is usually not available. Hence, patient safety should be given paramount importance, and systems need to be in place to ensure that the highest standards are achieved.