Recommendations

Patients with an aortic aneurysm requiring surgery must have equal priority with all other patients with serious clinical conditions for diagnosis, investigation and treatment.

Trusts should take action to improve access to Level 2 beds for patients undergoing elective aortic aneurysm repair so as to reduce the number of operations cancelled and inappropriate use of Level 3 beds.

Trusts should ensure that clinicians of the appropriate grade are available to staff preoperative assessment clinics for aortic surgery patients.

Strategic Health Authorities and Trusts should co-operate to ensure that only surgeons with vascular expertise operate on emergency aortic aneurysm patients, apart from exceptional geographical circumstances.