21 August 2020Some highlights: President's message | NZSA conference 2020 | NZSA AGM | NZSA website redevelopment | Common Issues Group news | Wellness tool for anaesthetists | webAIRS news | ACC survey | Environmental webinars | In the media President's messageKia ora koutou I also hope that you are feeling more certain about PPE supplies in your DHB. In Auckland, there appears to be less anxiety about PPE procurement and distribution than in March and April, which is testament to the work being done on PPE by the DHBs and the Ministry of Health. I trust this is the case around the country. We have also instituted behavioural changes to minimise the risks of intra-hospital transmission between HCWs e.g. mask wearing and better physical distancing, in an attempt to avoid what may be causes of the high infection rates among HCWs in Victoria. Lastly, keep safe, be kind and look after yourselves and your whānau. Nga mihi NZ Anaesthesia conference 2020Registrations are open for the NZSA conference NZ Anaesthesia 2020: Emerge, Reflect and Reconnect in Wellington (16-17 October, with optional pre-conference workshops on 15 October). A virtual option is also offered for 16-17 Oct if you can't attend in person. We are heartened by the enthusiastic response and numbers who have registered so far. Our committee has worked hard to offer delegates topical content, high calibre speakers and outstanding opportunities to connect as a specialty with colleagues, and we are raring to go. We encourage you to register before 31 August so you don’t miss out on the early bird rate. Registering early will also help our planning as we need to know delegate numbers to ensure we can proceed with current arrangements for workshops and social functions, including our local themed conference dinner on 17 October. Visit the FAQs page, which has all the information you need. Looking forward to welcoming you to the capital! Dr David Kibblewhite NZ Part 3 Course - WellingtonNZ Part 3 Course, 15 October 2020, Wellington NZSA Annual General Meeting 2020The NZSA's Annual General Meeting will be held in Wellington on Friday 16 October 2020 at midday, at TSB Arena, where we will also be holding our NZSA Conference Anaesthesia 2020: Emerge, Reflect and Reconnect. The agenda and papers will be made available to members in due course. All members are welcome to attend. NZSA website redevelopment updateWe are making good progress on our website redevelopment. We are now in the testing phase, refining features such as the search function and our members only section. The new site will offer members easy to find information, regularly updated content, and visually appealing design. Our new site will be considerably different to our current one, so we will provide guidance to members on how to find information and navigate the different sections. We are aiming to launch the new website very soon. NZSA Executive Committee MeetingThe NZSA Executive Committee meets on a monthly basis by teleconference, in addition to three full-day meetings throughout the year. The Executive met last week and discussion included: planning for our 2020 conference Emerge, Reflect and Reconnect; the Auditor-General's report on PPE and the need to ensure MOH implements the recommendations to deliver sufficient PPE to healthcare workers; the NZSA website upgrade; and NZSA Executive visits to hospital anaesthesia departments planned in the coming months. Common Issues Group newsThe Common Issues Group (anaesthesia societies from Australia, United States, UK and Ireland, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa) will meet on 10 September (NZ time) via Zoom. Topics for discussion include: Ongoing COVID-19 challenges, PPE, drug shortages, critical care, return to surgery, well-being, and workforce. Also on the agenda is the possibility of a CIG COVID-webinar for all CIG societies' members. Wellness tool for anaesthetistsThe Healthy Workplaces, Long Lives toolkit has been designed for anaesthesia departments to support good mental health and prevent mental ill-health and suicidal behaviour amongst anaesthetists and anaesthetic trainees. Strongly evidence-based, it recognises the unique challenges faced by anaesthetists in their day-to-day work. The toolkit includes resources to implement initiatives, such as having a wellbeing officer for every department, and forming peer groups for colleagues to get together and reflect on cases, mostly covering non-technical areas. The toolkit is an initiative of the Wellbeing of Anaesthetists Special Interest Group (SIG) and Everymind (a leading institute dedicated to the prevention of mental ill health), with support from the ASA
(Australia). webAIRS newsNew case reports are regularly added to the Advisory Notices for Anaesthetists (ANA) Alerts section of the webAIRS website. This week a case has been added where an aluminium cross bar, used to hold drapes, slipped down onto the patient’s face during an orthopaedic case. Fortunately, the patient appeared to be unharmed. Please login or register: webAIRS website and select the ANA-Alerts menu option. WebAIRS is especially interested in any recent COVID related incidents. Anaesthetists from New Zealand and Australia are encouraged to report incidents to webAIRS, to assist in improving quality patient care at a local and national level. ACC pain management surveyACC is reviewing the current pain management services contract, and would like to hear the insights and experiences of current suppliers, clinicians, and workers within pain management services. ACC has developed a five-minute survey to find out what's working well with the service, and ways that it could be improved. This survey is completely voluntary, and anonymous. Responses will be presented in aggregated form. You can complete the survey here (closes at 5.00pm on 28 August). ACC will share a summary of findings with suppliers and professional bodies that received the survey invitation. If you have any questions about the survey, email Feala Afoa painmanagement@acc.co.nz Pain education in low resource countriesWFSA Board Member and Director of Programmes Dr Wayne Morris is one of the authors of an article published in the June issue of Anaesthesia and Analgesia "Addressing the Challenge of Pain Education in Low Resource Countries: Essential Pain Management in Papua New Guinea." Here is an excerpt from the abstract: "Worldwide, EPM has now been taught in more than 60 countries. Our priorities for coming years include support for embedding EPM into health care systems and teaching programs, increased mentorship for instructors, assistance with overcoming local pain management barriers, and development of specific projects that will assess the impact of EPM education on patient outcomes." Read the full article here Environmental webinarsThis free webinar series is taking place fortnightly until October, open to anyone interested in ensuring New Zealand moves ahead with urgency to a low emission, resilient and equitable health system. It offers opportunities to connect on sustainable healthcare, climate change and health. 0800 number for health workersBattling COVID-19 can take a toll on frontline healthcare professionals. To provide some extra support, the Ministry of Health has funded Healthcare New Zealand to provide a new counselling service for frontline health and disability workers. This confidential psychological support is available through a dedicated number 0800 820 080, Monday-Friday 9am-7pm.You can call to book an appointment with an experienced team of therapists for a time that works for you. The service is flexible and works with what you need, whether it’s a one-off appointment or across several sessions. More at www.healthcarenz.co.nz/wellbeing-service. In the mediaMedsafe monitoring anaesthesia drug over 'lack of efficacy' Events
Advanced Care Planning, virtual conference, 2-3 December 2020 Anaesthesia Continuing EducationThe ACE website is a one-stop shop for anaesthesia events. Members convening conferences, workshops or meetings, which assist CPD requirements, are encouraged to add their event to the website. Advertising and quick links |