The acceptability of a disposable patient-controlled intravenous analgesia device (Go Medical Industries, Subiaco, Western Australia) was evaluated by questionnaire. Separate questionnaires were completed by 20 patients (response rate 100%) who had recently used the device after a variety of surgical procedures; by 41 nurses (82%) on post-surgical wards and by 11 anaesthetists (73%), all of whom were staff familiar with the device.Patients reported a high level of satisfaction with the device [median (Q1–Q3) score 90 (80–100)], reporting it to be easy to use for post operative analgesia. Staff responsible for the device also reported a high level of satisfaction [score 80 (70–90) for anaesthetists and 90 (80–100) for nurses] and particularly liked its light weight and portability. Concerns were expressed about the potential for tampering and the reliability of the device, with occasional equipment failures reported.We conclude that this lightweight disposable patient-controlled analgesia device was easy to use and was acceptable to both patients and staff.