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A report in England says thousands of patients a year wake up during operations. The report is from two organisations for anaesthetists – people who make us sleep before surgery. It said at least 150, and possibly several thousand, patients a year wake up on the operating table. Doctors say this is very rare and happens in one in every 19,000 operations. Patients who wake up during an operation say they felt fear and panic. A patient cannot tell the doctors if he/she wakes up because the drugs that relax their muscles mean they cannot move or communicate.

Researchers looked at around three million operations in public hospitals. They used the data to find ways to improve operations. They made 64 recommendations to reduce accidents in operating theatres. The most basic one was for doctors to use a checklist before each operation. This could reduce mistakes made by doctors. It could also make sure the patient has the correct levels of drugs. They also think a monitor can help doctors know if the patient wakes up. The report will hopefully mean anaesthetists will be able to understand if a patient wakes up.