New Zealand Society of Anaesthetists

07/01/2026

For your summer reading, the Te Puna Kairehu Dec25 issue offers features from the 2025 Aotearoa NZ Anaesthesia ASM:
- International speaker, Professor Bruce Biccard, on Improving patient care across Africa.
- Associate Professor Martyn Beaven on whether blood flow restriction can enhance elite-level team pursuit performance.
- How NZASM25's official charity partner, Rainbow Place, makes a difference for 13 year old Talyn and his whānau.

Read more from the comments.

04/01/2026

Hari Tau Hou - Happy New Year!
The NZSA has so much to look forward to bringing for members in 2026. Some key focuses include:
- Ensuring our specialty has a constructive voice in building our healthcare system.
- Identifying how we can assist you in gaining CPD relevant to the New Zealand context.
- Supporting our future workforce (including our new Trainee meeting, Te aka Tauwhiro, in November!).
- Progressing work on the RVG and other ways we can assist you in navigating changes in the private sector and outsourcing.

Alongside all of the usual mahi across our pillars: advocacy, community, education and sustainability.

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.