New Zealand Society of Anaesthetists

30/12/2025

As many of us reflect on the year that's been and consider the new year ahead, NZSA President Dr Jonathan Panckhurst does the same for the NZSA. Sharing some of the highlights, key work and what's on the horizon for 2026 in the latest President's report shared in Te Puna Kairehu, December 2025 issue. Read more from the comments.

📷credit: Freepik

24/12/2025

Sending you warm wishes for the holiday season 🎄and a huge thank you to everyone working today and over the break.

22/12/2025

In the latest issue of Te Puna Kairehu, we share insights and the power of calm from Dr Carrie Mann's presentation at the 2025 Paediatric Anaesthesia Network NZ (PANNZ) Educational Update Meeting. With effective techniques, you can employ to regulate the fight or flight response and ease children’s fears when they come in for a procedure. Read more from the comments.

📷 credit: Freepik

22/12/2025

The NZSA and Global Health Committee are thrilled to celebrate the graduation of our third Pacific Anaesthesia Collaborative Training (PACT) Fellow! Dr Nikish Narayan has completed FNU's MMed Anaesthesia Masters programme and was awarded this year’s prize for the top marks in the final exam!

Well done and congratulations, Nikish and all of this year's graduates 👏 whakamihi!
Our sincere thanks to everyone who contributes to PACT. Your donations are helping to support anaesthesia trainees to complete their studies and increase safe workforce numbers across the Pacific region.

21/12/2025

Thinking about what meetings and events to attend in 2026? Make sure to mark these in the calendar:

PANNZ Educational Update Meeting
- Saturday 28 March: PANNZ Educational Update Meeting, Tauranga.
- Sunday 29 March: EPIC Workshop, Tauranga
Registration is open: https://www.spanza.org.au/Web/Events/2026-EVENTS/2026-PANNZ

Combined Scientific Congress (CSC)
- 8-11 October, Hunter Valley.
Save the date: https://csc2026.com.au/
Abstracts are also open!

Te Aka Tauwhiro - anaesthesia trainee meeting (new event!)
27-28 November, Queenstown.
Save the date: https://anaesthesia.nz/events/te-aka-tauwhiro-trainee-event/

Visit our events page for more: https://anaesthesia.nz/events/

19/12/2025

NZSA, ANZCA and ASA have released a joint statement on decommissioning nitrous oxide for medical gas pipeline systems.

This joint statement on decommissioning N2O medical gas pipeline systems (N2O MGPS) aims to strengthen patient safety and environmental sustainability by promoting universal support for:
- Decommissioning N2O MGPS
- Avoiding installation of new N2O MGPS
- Utilising point of care cylinder supply where N2O is required for clinical use.

This statement does not propose to impact or change clinical indications for use of N2O.

Anaesthetists continue to demonstrate leadership in decarbonising healthcare with ANZCA’s Environmental Sustainability Network (ESN) Executive Subcommittee developing a joint statement with the Australian Society of Anaesthetists (ASA) and the New Zealand Society of Anaesthetists – Ngā Ringa Tauwhiro o Aotearoa (NZSA). Read on:

Joint statement on nitrous oxide | Read this article and more updates from The New Zealand Society of Anaesthetists .

17/12/2025

We're very excited to launch our first issue of Te Puna Kairehu, the next step in the NZSA’s magazine. Now a fully online publication, Te Puna Kairehu, shares all the same articles from across our Aotearoa anaesthesia and medical community alongside updates from further abroad.

This December issue features:
- From PANNZ 2025: Take a deep breath: Effective techniques you can employ to regulate the fight or flight response and ease children’s fears when they come in for a procedure.
- Two weeks volunteering in a Namibian Hospital.
- Decommissioning nitrous oxide across Aotearoa. An update from Dunedin and other main centres.
- Features from the 2025 Aotearoa NZ Anaesthesia ASM

Plus loads more!
Happy reading:

16/12/2025

Congratulations, Dr Gabrielle Kinzett-Carran, on being awarded the NZSA Prize for Best Quality Assurance Project at the NZ Annual Registrars Meeting for her audit of SipTilSend implementation at Waikato Hospital.

Whaka mihi to all prize winners at the NZ Annual Registrars’ Meeting. Our thanks to the Joint Anaesthesia Faculty Auckland (JAFA) and the Organising Committee for hosting another valuable event for our trainee community that the NZSA is proud to have sponsored.

09/12/2025

Registration is open for the PANNZ Educational Update Meeting 2026 in Tauranga.
Jointly hosted by the NZSA and SPANZA.

Saturday 28 March: PANNZ Educational Update Meeting & Optional CICO & ALS Workshops
Sunday 29 March: EPIC Workshop
Register now: www.spanza.org.au/Web/Events/2026-EVENTS/2026-PANNZ

This event brings together clinicians and professionals with an interest in paediatric anaesthesia to share knowledge, strengthen networks, and support high-quality care for children.

05/12/2025

Thank you to the organisers, presenters and everyone who attended yesterday’s Inpatient Pain Network Meeting & Pain Nurses NZ National Education day.

The NZSA values being able to support these events and networks as part of the community and education we offer here in Aotearoa.

04/12/2025

We are delighted to share that Dr Hannah Middleton has been awarded the BWT Ritchie Scholarship for 2026. Hannah will be undertaking her Fellowship at Queensland Children’s Hospital in Brisbane next year.

The BWT Ritchie Scholarship provides a significant financial contribution to assist a New Zealand based anaesthesia trainee in undertaking an international fellowship. It is administered by the ANZAEC – a joint subcommittee of the NZSA and ANZCA NZNC.

Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists

01/12/2025

The WFSA's next webinar: Optimising surgical outcomes through evidence-based acute pain protocols across the perioperative stages.
Dec 3, 4am - or sign up for the recording.

Managing acute pain requires a structured approach, because it is a patient's right to be pain-free. Because anaesthesiologists are the leaders of the surgical procedures, the WFSA must encourage the promotion and education of the guidelines and protocols that are constantly changing on acute pain m...