EXPAND MULTI-DISCIPLINARY PAIN SERVICES ACROSS REGIONAL AND METROPOLITAN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND

• The FPM Dean and Executive Director met with ministers and senior advisers in Australia and New Zealand to advocate on issues such as the roll-out of the Medical Benefits Scheme reform, inequities in access to pain care in regional and rural areas, waiting times for public specialist pain services and lack of services for children and adolescents.

• In New Zealand the faculty developed Mamaenga roa Model of Care for people living with chronic pain with an expert advisory group of specialists. It was presented to the Manatū Hauora, Ministry of Health and adopted by them to meet New Zealand’s health needs by moving towards prompt, appropriate and evidence-based delivery of pain care.

• In August the Dean and Executive Director toured New Zealand and held an extensive series of meetings with fellows in Auckland, the Waikato region, Wellington and Christchurch. The tour highlighted the issues facing New Zealand fellows and concerns about the lack of resources to meet the community’s needs for high quality pain care.