President’s Annual Report 2026

Ngā mihi nui kia koutou katoa,

As our Society is holding this year’s AGM earlier, this report covers the past six months only. Despite the shorter timeframe, it has been a period of significant activity, with new initiatives underway to strengthen what the NZSA offers members and continued advocacy across a range of key issues.

A major milestone has been the NZSA’s successful re-registration under the Incorporated Societies Act 2022, ensuring the Society’s ongoing future. This required considerable mahi from the NZSA office, valuable member input, and strong collective support. My sincere thanks to everyone who contributed.

Guided by the Society’s three pillars — advocacy, community, and education — this report highlights key areas of activity. I also encourage members to stay connected through our monthly newsletters, Te Puna Kairehu, and social media channels.

Advocacy

Advocacy efforts remain focused on specialist-led anaesthesia, patient safety, and the vital contribution anaesthetists and SPMP make to healthcare in Aotearoa.

Critical issues over the past six months include:

• Engagement with Southern Cross Health Society (SCHS) following changes to eligibility criteria for deep sedation and general anaesthesia in selected procedures. The NZSA has raised concerns regarding clinical judgement, patient autonomy, and long-term impacts, while collaborating with NZAGS and other professional groups on shared responses.
• Ongoing discussions with Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora regarding safety and workforce concerns linked to increasing outsourcing to private facilities. The NZSA continues to advocate for multidisciplinary governance structures that include anaesthesia representation.
• Submissions on several consultations relevant to our profession, including dental sedation practice standards, regulation of physician associates/assistants, and updated standards for anaesthetic technicians and safe sedation. Responses are available on the NZSA website.
• Correspondence with ACC about proposed pain service contract changes, highlighting concerns about reduced specialist input, declining clinical standards, and impacts on patient outcomes.

Across the health sector, financial and workforce pressures continue to create challenges that risk eroding standards of care. It is more important than ever that our profession speaks with a strong, united voice to ensure anaesthesia expertise is represented in health policy and planning.

Anaesthetists’ broad involvement across perioperative care, patient safety, and pain medicine gives our profession a valuable systems-wide perspective. This is reflected in the NZSA Manifesto for the next general election, which outlines five priority areas for future health policy and has been shared with all current government parties.

Community

The NZSA’s networks and committees continue to provide invaluable expertise, strengthen advocacy efforts, and support professional connections across the motu.

Highlights include:

• The Environmental and Sustainability Network’s contributions to the Joint Statement on Nitrous Oxide with ANZCA and the ASA, and guidance on the NZSA’s response to ANZCA’s proposed Environmental Sustainability Position Statement.
• Successful educational meetings hosted by the Inpatient Pain Network and Paediatric Anaesthesia Network NZ (PANNZ).
• Ongoing support and advocacy insight from the Private Practice Network.
• Continued national collaboration through Clinical Networks, including the National Obstetric Anaesthetists (NOA), supported via Basecamp.
• The Global Health Committee receiving record interest in Pacific locum support for this year’s PSA meeting and the continued growth of the PACT programme, now supporting five Fellows at Fiji National University. Congratulations to our third PACT graduate, Dr Nikish Narayan, who also received the FNU prize for top marks in the final examination.
• Members of the Executive Committee welcomed new trainees through the Part 0 courses earlier this year.

Internationally, the NZSA has remained actively engaged. I attended the WFSA 19th World Congress in Marrakech in April, while A/Prof Wayne Morriss, Dr James Dalby-Ball, and Dr Caroline Zhou represented the NZSA at the WFSA Asian Australasian Regional Section meeting in Bangkok.

Past President Dr Morgan Edwards and NZSA CEO Kylie McQuellin also attended the Common Issues Group meeting in Washington DC alongside colleagues from Australia, Canada, South Africa, the UK, and the USA, strengthening important international relationships and collaboration. These complement the NZSA’s close ties with both ANZCA and the ASA across Australasia.

Education

Collaboration with ANZCA and the ASA remains central to our educational activities. This included another successful Aotearoa NZ Anaesthesia Annual Scientific Meeting in 2025 and the upcoming 2026 Combined Scientific Congress in Hunter Valley.

Two new educational initiatives identified during last year’s Executive Committee strategy day are now underway:

• A new member webinar series, beginning with Te reo Māori in a clinical setting, presented by Ella Sargent from Manawa Māori. The webinar series will focus on topical issues and areas of CPD that can be harder to access in the New Zealand context, with recordings available on demand for members.
• Te Aka Tauwhiro, a new educational meeting for anaesthesia trainees, will be held in Queenstown on 27–28 November. The programme combines scientific content with non-technical and human factors relevant to training, while also meeting ANZCA SRA requirements.

Additional developments include further translations of patient resources on myanaesthesia.nz, new reo Māori resources available through the NZSA Member Dashboard, and the transition of our magazine to the online publication Te Puna Kairehu.

Earlier this year, the Executive Committee welcomed three new members: Dr Helen Abbott, Dr Caroline Zhou, and Dr Aidan Ward. Supporting governance education and leadership development remains important to ensuring the long-term sustainability of the Society, and we warmly encourage members interested in contributing to get involved.

Kia ora rawa atu e koutou mā – thank you

My sincere thanks to everyone who contributes their time, expertise, and energy to support the NZSA and our wider community — particularly our networks and committees, Executive Committee members, and those representing the Society across numerous working groups. None of this mahi would be possible without your voluntary dedication.

The NZSA also relies on the ongoing support and engagement of its members. Whether contributing to consultations, attending events, or simply being part of the Society, your involvement enables us to remain connected, advocate collectively, and continue supporting both our profession and our patients.

While this report covers only a short period, there is much still underway, and I look forward to updating you on further progress throughout the year.

Mā te mahi tahi ka ea ngā mahi
Through working together, the tasks are accomplished

Dr Jonathan Panckhurt
President, New Zealand Society of Anaesthetists – Ngā Ringa Tauwhiro o Aotearoa