Records of the Standing Joint Committee of the RCOG and the Royal College of Anaesthetists

Records of the Standing Joint Committee of the RCOG and the Royal College of Anaesthetists, comprising correspondence of the College Secretary regarding the Committee (1981-1991), two instruction manuals produced by the Resuscitation of the Newborn Working Party entitled Basic Resuscitation (Part 1) and Advanced Resuscitation (Part 2), undated [1989], and committee agenda, correspondence and meetings papers (1989-2009).

The first meeting of the Standing Advisory Committee on Obstetric Anaesthesia and Analgesia was held on 16 February 1982. The Committee was comprised of three representatives of the Royal College of Gynaecologists and three representatives of the Faculty of Anaesthetists, to 'consider and make recommendations on matters of common interest to its parent bodies'. It agreed on the following areas of common interest in teaching: anaesthesia for operative deliveries, pain relief in labour, obstetric intensive care and resuscitation of the newborn. In 1987 a Working Party on Resuscitation of the Newborn was formed by the Committee and included representatives from the Royal Colleges of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Anaesthetists, and Midwives, and from the British Paediatric Association. Its aim was to produce two instruction manuals covering basic resuscitation of the newborn and the special skills needed for advanced resuscitation. From 1995 the Standing Advisory Committee became known as the Standing Joint Committee of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Royal College of Anaesthetists, following a review of the functions the committee performed. Its new terms of reference became: to discuss and advise on matters of mutual interest and concern in both obstetric and gynaecological anaesthesia, and to report routinely on discussions by submission of minutes to Councils. The Chair reported to the Finance and Executive Committee, then later to the Standards Board; traditionally the committee met twice a year. The Standing Joint Committee was disbanded in January 2011 for the reason the Royal College of Anaesthetists was represented on the 'four College group' ie. the RCOG, Royal College of Midwives, Royal College of Paediatricians and Child Health, and the Royal College of Anaesthetists.

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