Block It Like It’s Hot: Regional Anesthesia, Pain Medicine & POCUS S4 E1: "Block Box 10: Our convo with Alan Macfarlane and Nuala Lucas!"
Jan 6, 2026
Nuala Lucas, consultant obstetric anaesthetist and OAA president, shares her passion for labour analgesia and debates epidural skills, CSE and DPE. Alan Macfarlane, professor leading the NAP8 national audit, outlines a major registry to track rare regional anaesthesia complications. They discuss audit design, data challenges, and the evolving role of blocks in obstetric care.
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Assign Local Coordinators To Improve Case Reporting
- Appoint motivated local coordinators in each hospital to maintain awareness and encourage multidisciplinary reporting of complications.
- Use local engagement with surgeons, neurologists and physiotherapists to improve case capture and accurate attribution.
Peripheral Block Litigation Has Risen Faster Than Block Numbers
- Litigation for peripheral nerve blocks in the UK has doubled over the last decade despite modest increases in block numbers, suggesting changing practices and novel blocks may influence risk.
- Macfarlane links increased litigation partly to enthusiasm and new techniques.
Run A SNAP With Active Follow Up To Validate Findings
- Complement the service-level NAP with a powered SNAP research study that follows blocks longitudinally via automated messages.
- Macfarlane proposes a 6–7k patient SNAP with text follow-up to accurately measure temporary neurological dysfunction trajectories.