Day surgery overview: Where are we now, how did we get here and where are we going?

SummaryDay surgery began in the 1900s and has since become a beneficial form of care which is practised, to varying extents, in most countries. Without ignoring the numerous clinical benefits of day surgery, this overview will focus on the current position of day surgery in the United Kingdom and will examine the various political initiatives which are making this form of surgical care ever more desirable.These rapidly evolving changes also have implications for future training in anaesthesia. As day surgery becomes the default option for elective care, the majority of anaesthetists will need to ensure their anaesthetic techniques minimise the complications that can interfere with successful same day discharge, while highly trained specialists, capable of achieving good results with the more complex cases, will also be required.