Electronic Pre-Operative Assessment

We are launching our electronic pre-operative assessment soon.

We are digitising our entire pre-operative assessment service, making it more efficient, eliminating the need for unnecessary hospital visits, and significantly reducing risks for our patients undergoing surgery.

It will prove to be an invaluable tool for supporting the safe triage process of our patients needing clinically-urgent surgery at our hospital.

Patients will now be able to complete their pre-operative health questionnaire digitally from the comfort of their home.

Benefits for patients

  • The patient provides information to the hospital from the comfort and safety of their home
  • Reduction in multiple hospital appointments and associated travel
  • Unique educational videos mean the patient is fully informed and put at ease about their upcoming hospital visit and procedure
  • With secure file sharing, admissions and procedure information can be accessed in one place at any time
  • Patient needs identified early resulting in personalised and relevant care

Watch the video below about the benefits of our new electronic pre-operative assessment:

Frequently Asked Questions

You and your consultant have decided that you need a procedure/operation. This usually requires general, regional or local anaesthetic and/or sedation. To make sure this can be done safely, all patients will have to undergo pre-assessment. We will assess your suitability for the planned operation, considering your underlying health problems, and identify any specific needs you may have when coming in for your procedure.

As part of the pre-assessment you will need to fill in a health questionnaire, and have your height, weight and blood pressure checked.

Depending on your answers and the operation you are having, you may need a blood test and an ECG. Some patients will need further tests.

All patients requiring surgery must complete a pre-operative questionnaire before the surgery can go ahead. This will help to assess your health, screen for any long-term conditions requiring optimisation and determine if you are fit to proceed with the operation.

You will receive an email notification prompting you to complete the questionnaire. Once logged in, you will also be able to access the questionnaire via the Pre-Assessment section.

All patients will be asked to complete this questionnaire via a secure web-based portal called ePOA (electronic pre-operative assessment). This is accessible via the NHS app.

Completing the questionnaire online allows the pre-operative assessment team to review and decide what tests you may need prior to your operation. Completing it quickly online and answering all the questions may speed up the time to surgery.

You will receive an email notification when your questionnaire is available to complete. You can opt to complete the assessment online at ease in your home. If you are unable to complete a digital questionnaire then the pre-assessment team will be able to help you during an appointment at a later stage.

Once you have completed your health questionnaire, our Pre-assessment Team will review your information and if required arrange a telephone assessment or face-to-face appointment with a nurse to confirm or discuss additional information about your medical history.

Some patients may need to attend for an anaesthetic review or for an exercise test. You may also be contacted by our physiotherapy team, a diabetes specialist nurse or our pharmacist should this be required to improve your health or to provide you with instructions.

Once you are assessed as safe to proceed with your operation/procedure, we will notify you about your operation date.

Video: An overview of the electronic pre-operative assessment