8 October 2021 

Some highlights:  President's message | Ao/NZ Anaesthesia ASM | NZSA photo competition | BWT Ritchie Scholarship | COVID vaccination - doctors unite | National Anaesthesia Day | Rarotonga opportunity | In the media | Professional supervision podcast | Workshop - Acute Severe Behavioural Disturbance |

The NZSA Annual General Meeting will be held virtually on Friday 29 October 2021 at 1.00pm in conjunction with the virtual Aotearoa New Zealand Annual Scientific Meeting.  To read the meeting papers, including proposed changes to our constitution, please click here. You will need to be logged in as this information is in the members' only section. To RSVP for the AGM please email nzsa@anaesthesia.nz. We would appreciate you filling in a proxy form if you cannot attend the meeting.

The BWT Scholarship supports fellowships or projects that will significantly benefit anaesthesia in New Zealand. To find out if you are eligible and how to apply please visit the website of the Aotearoa New Zealand Education Committee. Applications close 24 October 2021.

Our most recent BWT recipient Dr Mike Webb wrote about his Canadian fellowship experience for the NZSA April magazine. 

The NZSA has joined medical colleges and other health organisations endorsing and signing an open letter (6000 signatures so far) in support of COVID vaccination. The letter was written by Doctors Stand Up For Vaccination, which is a grassroots initiative by the doctors of Aotearoa to reassure the public about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine. The NZSA has also been encouraging all doctors to sign this letter, which has been reviewed by public health physicians. Read and sign here (closes 14 October). The NZSA has also been active on social media to encourage vaccination as our best line of defence against the virus, especially in the context of limited ICU capacity. 

Follow Doctors Stand Up For Vaccination on Twitter @NZDRSUV  

Are you interested in doing a sabbatical or taking extended leave to work in Rarotonga and support our Pacific neighbours?

The dates that need to be filled are between 19 March 2022 to the end of December 2022. Whangarei Anaesthetist Dr Michael Kalkoff is coordinating this request and would like to hear from you if you are interested in providing some cover during this time. It is possible for cover to be split between people doing a minimum of four to six weeks each. Travel costs (including for family members) will be covered. There is also a financial package offered. The Cook Islands are happy to consider candidates at Fellowship level who have just completed their FANZCA but have not yet taken up a substantive post. To discuss this opportunity, please contact Michael michael.kalkoff@northlanddhb.org.nz and he can provide more information and make the necessary introductions.

Making difficult decisions about rationing medical care
Anaesthetist Dr Ryan Salter talks to Kim Hill about his experience working in a health system under extreme pressure because of Covid-19. Dr Salter recently returned from the UK, where he was a consulting Anaesthetist at Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge, the UK’s leading heart and lung hospital where patients are referred for last-resort treatment on ECMO. Interview here

ICU plan won't work for endemic Covid-19 due to staff shortages
The Government says it can increase bed capacity during outbreaks and that DHBs have trained 713 non-ICU nursing staff, including anaesthetists, to help with the pandemic response. However this plan only works during lockdowns as staff are able to be sourced from other parts of the health system due to freed capacity says the Chair of the College of Intensive Care Medicine Dr Andrew Stapleton. Endemic COVID needs a different approach to a pandemic surge he explains. Read more on STUFF.

Dr Morgan Edwards - busting COVID myths
From dispelling COVID misinformation to advancing obstetric care, the influence of NZSA Vice-President Dr Morgan Edwards is being felt across social media. While she never anticipated this level of influence, posting on social media has become an essential part of her working week. Fantastic profile article in Woman magazine. 

Here's a podcast to add to your list! Have you considered professional supervision? What can you do to make your work more effective, enjoyable and sustainable? Australian Society of Anaesthetist's President Dr Suzi Nou interviewed NZSA Executive member Dr Renee Franklin about her experiences of professional supervision, and how it has helped her career and wellbeing. Listen to the podcast here

The Ministry of Health is implementing the End of Life Choice Act to establish an assisted dying service in New Zealand from 7 November 2021. The MOH website outlines the rights and responsibilities of health practitioners under the Act (whether involved in assisted dying, or wishing to conscientiously object). The Ministry’s LearnOnline portal has an assisted dying section for health professionals including the End of Life Choice Act 2019 module overview, which explains health professionals' obligations under the Act. This handbook from MOH covers Responding when a person raises assisted dying is recommended. 

The NZSA webpage has collated EOLC Act information and news here. You can also sign up for MOH email updates.

The NZSA is writing a submission in response to MCNZ's revised statement on What to do when you have concerns about another doctor. Read the consultation papers here. The new draft statement has more emphasis on patient safety and maintaining the public’s trust and confidence in the medical profession as grounds to act on concerns about another doctor. Please email your comments to comms@anaesthesia.nz by 18 Oct to help inform our submission.  

A virtual workshop for Acute Severe Behavioural Disturbance (ASBD) will be held on 12 November, 9am-11am, hosted by Auckland City Hospital.

The ASBD workshop looks at acute sedation, in locations other than the operating room (e.g ward, pain clinic, ED), and was designed particularly for FPM fellows without a background in anaesthesia. However, ANZCA fellows have also found it useful for the management of acute delirium in unfamiliar environments, de-escalation methods, and learning break away skills for their own safety. More on the NZSA events page including full program. 

Please note the cancellation of the WebAIRS Advisory Notices for Anaesthetists – Alerts issued by WebAIRS based on case reports session which was to have taken place on Saturday 30 October 2021 at the Aotearoa New Zealand Anaesthesia ASM 2021. This session has been cancelled as the ASM is now a fully virtual platform. It is planned to promulgate the cases that were to be discussed, as an online advisory (ANA – Alert) in the WebAIRS members area of the WebAIRS website. To view the WebAIRS ANA-Alerts please visit the WebAIRS website and login in or register.