1.    Professor Alan Merry’s appointment to the New Zealand Order of Merit
NZNC congratulates the New Zealand Council member, Professor Alan Merry on his appointment by the Queen as an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the New Year Honours 2009.  The award is in recognition for services to medicine, in particular anaesthesia.  The honour is well deserved.  Alan has done so much for anaesthesia and many other areas of health in New Zealand and internationally.  The investiture will occur at Government House in Auckland on the 3rd of April.

2.    Charitable Status
All charitable organisations in New Zealand were required to apply to the newly formed Charities Commission for reapproval of charitable status.  ANZCA NZNC recently was notified that its application was approved.

3.    Audit
RSM Prince, an Auckland firm, is currently conducting the annual audit and preparation of the 2008 year-end financial report for the ANZCA NZ office.

4.    Medical Council of New Zealand
a.    Workplace based assessments for International Medical Graduate Specialists (IMGS)
Professor Garry Phillips visited the New Zealand office on the 13th February and joined members of the NZNC at a meeting with the Medical Council CEO and staff to discuss the new ANZCA Workplace-based assessment process and how this can fit with the MCNZ IMGS assessment processes.
b.    Supervision of IMGS (see consultation list below under section 8 below)
The Medical Council is seeking ANZCA’s opinions on the supervision process for IMGS who are going through the vocational registration process in New Zealand, especially where the doctor is practising in the more isolated and small centres in New Zealand.
c.    The proposed use of practice visits (Periodic Assessment of Performance) for all vocationally registered specialists (see consultation list below)
The MCNZ is currently consulting on its proposal to introduce periodic assessment of performance as part of the CPD and recertification requirements.  The ANZCA CPD Committee and NZNC have raised many important issues regarding this proposal and these will be submitted to MCNZ at the end of February.

5.    New Zealand Minister of Health, Hon Tony Ryall
The President, Dr Leona Wilson, Professor Alan Merry, the Chair of NZNC, Dr Vanessa Beavis and Heather Ann Moodie met with the Minister of Health on Tuesday 17 February. 
a.    The establishment of a Perioperative Mortality Review Committee
The main topic was the establishment of a perioperative mortality review committee in New Zealand. 
A fruitful discussion occurred and the Minister indicated that this should proceed.
b.    Protected Quality Assurance Activities (PQAA)
Last year NZNC applied to the Ministry of Health for PQAA status for activities undertaken as part of the ANZCA CPD Program.  Approval was delayed because of the Ministry’s review of the HPCA Act and then the change of Government.  At the meeting on the 13th February, the Minister has asked one of his advisors to facilitate the finalisation of this approval.
c.    Workforce issues
The Minister raised the topic of workforce numbers and needs.  He had had a meeting with RACS a couple of weeks previously where the need to increase the New Zealand surgical workforce was discussed (77% by 2026). 
There will need to be a corresponding increase in anaesthetists and other members of the theatre team. ANZCA attendees highlighted for the Minister the College’s approach to the workforce issues.  Amongst the various initiatives planned, is the preparation of a New Zealand anaesthesia workforce report this year, similar to the one that was conducted in Australia in 2007.  This will include the distribution of a survey to all anaesthetists and trainees in New Zealand.

6.    New staff member in the New Zealand office
The New Zealand office is currently going through the recruitment process to fill a new Administration Officer position.  The current staff roles have grown significantly in the last few years especially in the finance area, the IMGS assessments, training and examinations and submissions, amongst other tasks.  The new staff member will take on a number of the training and examination roles as well as supporting JFICM NZNC.

7.    New Zealand Trainees Committee
The New Zealand Trainees Committee grows in strength every year. This year’s committee is very enthusiastic and has already had its first teleconference for the year. Some of the topics covered were:
•    Part Zero course
•    ANZCA website
•    Email communication with ANZCA
•    ANZCA Curriculum Review
•    Importance of Trainees having a GP

8.    Recent and current submissions
NZNC actively debates the issues arising from a wide variety of consultation documents and submits comments and nominations to government and non-government agencies (including the College) for the majority of these.  The list below of the consultation documents so far this year gives an indication of the topics considered:
•     ANZCA New Fellows Conference 2009 - two nominations for NZ (5 January 2009) http://www.anzca.edu.au/events/events/new-fellows-conference-2009.ics
•    Medical Training Board discussion papers (16 January 2009) http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/indexmh/medicaltrainingboard
•    PHARMAC (Crown pharmaceutical management agency) - Proposal to amend restrictions on musculoskeletal pharmaceuticals and to reduce the subsidy for EC aspirin http://www.pharmac.govt.nz/2009/01/12/2009-01-12%20%20Proposal%20to%20amend%20resitrictions%20on%20musculoskeletal%20agents%20and%20to%20lower%20the%20EC%20aspirin%20subsidy.pdf
(29 January)
•    Minister of Health - nominations and or applications for the Perinatal and Maternal Mortality Review Committee for the one vacancy for a member with knowledge of Pacific Island health. (30 January)
•    ANZCA Curriculum review (31 January) http://www.anzca.edu.au/news/announcements/anzca-curriculum-review-2013-have-your-say.html
•    Ministry of Health (MoH) Maternity Action Plan 2008 – 2012 (31 December, date postponed until sometime in 2009) http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/indexmh/draft-maternity-action-plan-2008-2012-oct08
•    Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ) consultation - Draft statement for doctors on the subject of advertising (2 February) http://www.mcnz.org.nz/News/tabid/55/Default.aspx
•    Clinical Training Agency - Purchase Intentions 2009/10 (5 February)
•    PHARMAC consultation document - "Relevant Practitioner" Pharmaceutical Schedule definition (13 February)  http://www.pharmac.govt.nz/2008/12/03/Proposal%20to%20add%20definition%20of%20%27Relevant%20Practitioner%27%20to%20the%20Pharmaceutical%20Schedule.pdf
•    PHARMAC - Request for nominations for clinical advisors on volatile Anaesthetics (13 February)
•    MoH Report on the HPCA Act Review (20 February, extended to 6 March) http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/indexmh/review-hpca-act-2003-report-minister
•    MCNZ consultation document - The proposed use of practice visits (periodic assessment of performance) as part of CPD (27 February) http://www.mcnz.org.nz/portals/0/news/Fitness_to_Practise_consultation_document.pdf
•    MCNZ - Proposed new framework for the supervision of international medical graduates (IMGs) (27 February 2009) http://www.mcnz.org.nz/News/tabid/55/Default.aspx
•    Health & Disability Commissioner (HDC) Review of the Act and Code (28 February 2009) http://www.hdc.org.nz/publications/review-act-code-08
•    New Zealand National Safe Medication Management programme - electronic prescribing -speciality requirements (28 February)
•    District Health Board NZ (DHBNZ) Workforce forecasting for anaesthetists (March)
•    ANZCA draft professional document injectable medicines guideline (March)
•    ANZCA Media Contacts Guide (15 March)
•    Medical Council elections nominations (20 March 2009) http://www.mcnz.org.nz/portals/0/news/889791_Election%20Nomination%20Booklet_Web.pdf 

9.     Events in Wellington in February and March involving NZNC members and staff
a.    Medical Council of New Zealand meeting (13 February)
b.    IMGS interviews on behalf of the MCNZ (13 February)
c.    Meeting with the Minister of Health (17 February)
d.    ANZCA Foundation, visit from the Director (18th February)
e.    ANZCA Courses Working Group videoconference (27 February)
f.    FANZCA Written Examinations (2 March)
g.    Health and Disability Commissioner Medico-legal Conference (4 March)
h.    Council of Medical Colleges meeting(6 March)
i.    ANZCA NZ Education Subcommittee teleconference (11th March)
j.    ANZCA Clinical Teachers Course (20 March)
k.    ANZCA NZNC meeting (27 March)
l.    JFICM NZNC meeting (30 March)