The Royal College of Anaesthetists is the professional body responsible for the specialty throughout the UK. The College ensures the quality of patient care through the maintenance of standards in anaesthesia, critical care and pain medicine.

The College supports approximately 17,500 members and fellows and approximately 3,500 from the College’s Faculties of Intensive Care Medicine and Pain Medicine.

Anaesthesia is the largest single hospital specialty in the NHS. Anaesthetists have overall responsibility for patients’ well-being before, during and after surgery, and over two-thirds of hospital in-patients will see an anaesthetist. Away from the operating theatre, anaesthetists are involved in a broad range of activities, from obstetrics to dentistry, resuscitation to sleep medicine.

The College’s work includes:
* championing the work of anaesthetists, and the science that underpins our work
* recruiting, training and running examinations to the most exacting standards
* supporting and advising our members throughout their careers
* funding research to ensure that anaesthesia continues to advance
* collaborating with other medical, academic and healthcare organisations in the UK and worldwide
* promoting the sharing of knowledge and best practice
* working with government and other stakeholders to ensure that anaesthesia and anaesthetists play a
central role in shaping and delivering the healthcare agenda.