December 2013 | Issue 36 The newsletter of the New Zealand Society of Anaesthetists INSIDE ISSUE: President’s Column This year’s AGM providing advocacy and support for was a very special their wellbeing.” occasion for our NZSA ACTIVITIES Society, for me personally and for Education Dr Ted Hughes who We have underwritten or supported we welcomed as AQUA, the Visiting Lectureships our President for and BWT Ritchie Scholarships New President the next 2 years. administered by NZAEC, the NZ Dr Ted Hughes Ted is sure to bring fresh ideas, Anaesthesia ASM, and have the 2014 Dunedin ASM highlights enthusiasm and energy to this role, Combined AACA/ASURA Meeting NZSA Prizes Winners Announced and he will lead our Society to new coming up in February. We receive heights. In my new role as Immediate our journal Anaesthesia and Intensive Trainee Corner Past President on the Executive Care. We provide prizes for: academic Committee I am looking forward to presentations at the ASM; the working with Ted and to return the outstanding Anaesthetic Technician support Ted has always afforded to graduate each year; the best paper at me over the past 3 years. I joined the the Post Anaesthesia Nurses of New Executive Committee in 2008 and Ted Zealand conference each year; and has served on the Committee since the best QA/Audit paper at the Annual 2007. We have shared common goals Registrar’s Meeting. Retired Anaesthetist throughout our respective tenures and NZSA is a member of the Australian Dr Anne Wills I am truly grateful for the opportunity and New Zealand Tripartite I have had to lead the Society in this Anaesthesia Data Committee role. The Society issued a press (ANZTADC) which collects anaesthetic release following the formal handover morbidity data across Australasia. of the Presidency from me to Ted at Our representative on this committee our AGM which was held during the is Russell Rarity, along with our New Zealand Anaesthesia Annual President and EO. The initial Chair Scientific Meeting from 6-9 November. of this Committee has been Alan Strategic review Merry. This is building to be a superb, Working for the Lifebox Foundation: Our Society is a small group which internationally recognised resource. Grant Waters on Mercy Ships achieves great things with the limited We jointly underwrite, with the New resources we have, and I think that Zealand National Committee of we “punch far above our weight”. We ANZCA, the annual “Part 3” course have a real presence on the national aimed at senior trainees about to enter and international stages, and we do the specialist workforce. This course good work. is the brainchild of Annick Hood and The Executive Committee spent some Julian Dimech. The course was held time early in the year on reviewing away from Auckland for the first time what we do as a Society and what this year – in Dunedin after the ASM. our vision and mission for the future David Rusk and Nav Sidhu have Dr Ha Nguyen anaesthetist and of the Society should offer our organised an annual 2-day “Part Zero” interpreter with Dr Le Quoc Anh members. We agreed that our vision discussing the use of Lifeboxes course for three years now, aimed at should be “To represent and support those brand new to anaesthesia, or the best interests of the community contemplating a career in anaesthesia. of medically registered anaesthetists It covers the very basics of training, in New Zealand and promote the The New Zealand Anaesthesia’s newsletter design includes the NZSA’s and a second day introduces the logo (safety through knowledge) and the symbol on our constitution. perioperative safety of their patients” very basics of some anaesthesia The Kotuku, a white Heron, represents the physical person, its shadow and that our mission is “To serve our represents the spirit. Te Kotuku can be translated as ‘safe’ and Rerenga techniques – this day is open to junior Tahi as ‘journey’. The flight and return home of the Kotuku, is likened membership by facilitating education, to a patient’s experience under anaesthesia. doctors from other disciplines as well President’s Column Continued… as anaesthesia. We are very grateful within the perioperative continuum.” Auckland. We were unsuccessful to members of NZNC ANZCA for We have been invited to be part in our bid, largely we think because supporting this meeting. of a working group on this issue. we had no more than a promise of We remain very supportive of our an International Convention Centre. Advocacy anaesthetic technician colleagues, That promise is well on the way to Through the year we have written 17 we share conferences with them and becoming a reality. Final legislation submissions, and more consultations we share office space with them. to build the centre was passed in are underway: Parliament last month. Overseas Aid • Pharmac (Medical devices, twice. Alan Goodey and the Overseas We have been in discussion with Decision criteria review. Funding of Aid Subcommittee are active in the Tourism New Zealand, who provides sugammadex, gabapentin, methoxyflurane, Pacific, assisting with equipment, support for bids for international COX-II blockers); infrastructure, teaching and locum conferences, and they would be • NZ Nursing Council (Prescribing by relief so anaesthetists can attend prepared to support our further bid Nurses, Merging of Regulatory Authorities) conferences. for the 2024 World Congress. We are considering this. • The Perioperative Nurses College of Lifebox continues to be a major focus NZNO (Nurses as assistants to the for NZSA, and we are proud to be Special contributions to NZSA work Anaesthetist - twice) part of this excellent initiative where As always, there are a number ordinary anaesthetists can make a of members making outstanding • Medical Sciences Council (Scope of tangible contribution to patient safety contributions to our Society, and Practice of Anaesthetic Technicians) in other parts of the world. to our professional wellbeing, in a • Ministry of Health (National Consensus variety of ways. This list is by no Common Issues Group Guidelines for PPH management, means exhaustive and I apologise if I In June I was invited as a guest to Updating the pregnancy and parenting have missed people by mistake. the “Common Issues Group” meeting education service) in Banff, Alberta, immediately Campion Read and his team have • Medical Council of NZ (Standards and prior to the Canadian Society worked extremely hard over the last processes for recognition of vocational of Anesthesiologists Meeting in several years to put together our scopes of practice and accreditation). Calgary. The CIG comprises the Annual Scientific Meeting this year. Officers of the Australian, American, The vibes were good - it was an I thank our Executive Committee for Canadian and Great Britain and outstanding meeting. their considerable work on these Irish Societies of Anaesthetists. submissions, particularly Graham Kerry Gunn has led the NZ The President of the South African Roper, Phil Eames and Kathryn Hagen. Anaesthesia Education Committee Society and I were invited as ably for the last two years. Our guests. This was an amazing and We have met with representatives visiting lecturers this year were illuminating meeting. I learned from ACC on two occasions this Professor Brian Anderson, Drs Matt that anaesthesia societies from all year, and will contribute to their Taylor, and Rachelle Williamson, and corners of the English-speaking review of services. I thank them for their contribution to world share similar concerns – be the education of our community. Members have expressed concern they over patient safety, monitoring, over the expansion of Southern drug supply, education, workforce, Kerry, Neil MacLennan and Martin Cross Healthcare’s Affiliated Provider legislation or finance. We all Misur once again organised a Scheme. We commissioned a legal approach these concerns differently, very successful AQUA meeting in opinion, which we have made available and these differences were very Queenstown, which 130 delegates to members. We anticipate further interesting. NZSA hopes to be enjoyed in August. involvement in this delicate issue. invited to “Associate Membership” Neil MacLennan, Martin Misur, of this group, where our President Our Economic Advisory Committee has Simon Mitchell, Chris Nixon and might be invited to attend these been quiet over the last couple of years, their teams are working frantically to annual meetings without having the and we plan to see this resurrected late prepare our next major meeting, and responsibility and expense of hosting this year/early next year. There is much I know we are looking forward to the this meeting in turn. that needs to be done. Combined AACA/ASURA meeting in We maintain good relationships NZSA Newsletter February 2014. We publish this newsletter four with the New Zealand College of Alan Merry, Wayne Morriss and Neil times each year. We believe this Midwives, and meet regularly with MacLennan are all heavily involved is important for communication, them and with the Royal Australian in WFSA activities (Alan is Assistant profile, and our community. We are and New Zealand College of Treasurer, Wayne is Chair of the well aware that production costs Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Education Subcommittee, and Neil of this are significant and continue is on the Board of the AARS). This We maintain close relationships to rise each year. The newsletter is work is arduous and largely unseen, with the New Zealand Medical well received and appreciated by and I acknowledge their