About the National Clinical Programme for Anaesthesia (NCPA)

The National Clinical Programme for Anaesthesia (NCPA) is led by Dr Michael Dockery, Clinical Lead. As Clinical Lead he is responsible for coordinating and directing a considerable workload with the assistance of Programme Manager Una Quill and Anaesthesia Nurse Lead Aileen O’Brien.

The role and function of the NCPA reflects the ethos of the overall National Clinical Programmes and Integrated Care Programmes initiatives. NCPA aims to deliver better care through better use of resources. In doing so it aims to improve patient safety, quality of care, access to services and to deliver support to consultants.

Current work streams for the NCPA include:

  • Development of Model of Care for Anaesthesia
  • Development of Anaesthesia/Intensive Care Medicine Workforce Planning Report in collaboration with National Doctors Training & Planning (NDTP)
  • Overseeing the implementation of Model of Care for Pre Admission Units
  • Overseeing delivery and further development of National Anaesthesia Recovery Room Care for Nurses and Midwives Education Programme (Level 8)
  • Development of National Foundation Programme for Nurses and Midwives working in Pre Admission Units (Level 8)
  • Theatre Quality Improvement Programme (TQIP) in collaboration with National Clinical Programme for Surgery (NCPS), RCSI and the Integrated Care Programme for Patient Flow Care.

Medical and Nursing Programme Leads have been identified in every hospital and play a vital bi-directional communication role by providing feedback on numerous draft documents submitted to the NCPA for national consultation and by informing the NCPA of developments at local level and generally raising the profile of the NCPA.

NCPA collaborates and works closely with a number of other Clinical Programmes

  • Critical Care Programme
  • Transport Medicine Programme
  • Integrated Care Programme for Patient Flow
  • Surgery Programme
  • Trauma & Orthopaedics Programme
  • Obstetrics Programme

The office of the NCPA is located in the College of Anaesthetists of Ireland at 22 Merrion Square, underlining the close collaboration and unity of purpose shared by the College, Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland (AAGBI) and the NCPA.