ANZCA’s new strategic drivers map our priorities

Our objectives reflect our intent and focus as we work to achieve what is expressed in our strategic priorities. In formulating the projects that will deliver against these objectives, we will consider what to take forward from our existing work, what to stop doing and where we can direct energy towards new initiatives.

The four pillars of our plan are:

• Lead: Anaesthesia, pain medicine and perioperative medicine

• Engage: Workforce, wellbeing, equity and diversity

• Support: Fellows, trainees, SIMGs, graduate experience

• Sustain: Leading specialist medical college

In recent weeks, we have been focusing on the college’s strategic drivers which are based on three important documents that have been developed to help guide the college’s way forward in 2023 and beyond.

These strategic drivers are captured in the ANZCA Strategic Plan 2023-2025, our Australian Medical Council (AMC)/ Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ) reaccreditation report and our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP).

We are now in the process of finalising operational plans for our strategic plan and the conditions outlines in the reaccreditation report. Operational plans for the RAP are already complete.

We plan to undertake ongoing engagement with ANZCA and FPM committees and other key stakeholders on relevant actions and activities, with committee workplans and initiatives to be mapped back to our strategic drivers.

Strategic Plan

As described in the Summer edition of the Bulletin, the ANZCA Strategic Plan 2023-2025 was developed in the context of recognising the rapidly changing global environment created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Council, the FPM Board, the Executive Leadership Team and senior staff collaborated on the development of the strategic plan that was also informed by recent fellowship and trainee surveys.

Our strategic priorities were formed from an objective view of the strategic opportunities and risks present in the immediate and emerging conditions, and ensure we will be aligned and equipped to generate long term sustainable value.

During last year’s review of the ANZCA strategic plan, we identified that the mission statement of the college was outdated and could be improved. Following an ANZCA Council discussions, the mission ("to serve the community by fostering safety and high-quality patient care in anaesthesia, perioperative medicine and pain medicine") was replaced with a new purpose statement:

"Our purpose is to serve our communities by leading high quality care in anaesthesia, perioperative and pain medicine, optimising health and reducing the burden of pain."

Our strategic plan can be found at: www.anzca.edu.au/about-us/our-culture/strategic-plan

AMC MCNZ RE-ACCREDITATION

Last year the college received advice that it would be reaccredited by the Australian Medical Council (AMC) and the Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ) to continue delivering training programs for anaesthesia and pain medicine.

We received the final report in March which assured us that all standards against which the college is measured have been met and the college will be accredited for at least another six years.

Under the AMC/MCNZ re-accreditation process our anaesthesia and pain medicine training programs were assessed alongside our continuing professional development (CPD) program as well as our assessment of specialist international medical graduates.

The college received 27 commendations from the assessors and must meet 31 conditions to retain accreditation. Another 22 recommendations will also be considered.

The AMC report can be found at: www.anzca.edu.au/about-us/amc-and-mcnz-accreditation

RECONCILIATION ACTION PLAN (RAP)

Late last year, Reconciliation Australia approved the college’s first Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). You can see details about our RAP on page 25.

Although this is our first RAP, it is in fact a continuation of the work from our 2018-2022 Indigenous Health Strategy. In the development of the RAP, the working group met four times a year throughout 2021 and 2022. Business units were consulted during the development. The working group included two Aboriginal and one Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander fellowof the college, one Aboriginal trainee of the college; two non-Indigenous fellows; and five staff members, one of whom identifies as an Aboriginal person.

After four rounds of feedback, Reconciliation Australia approved ANZCA’s Reconciliation Action Plan. There are three core pillars to our RAP – relationships, respect and opportunities – underpinned by governance and reporting practices.

There are 19 actions for staff and members across areas such areas as cultural safety, cultural celebration, recruitment and retention, participation, relationship building procurement and professional development.

There are 91 deliverables (including 54 mandatory Reconciliation Australia deliverables) to be completed from 2023 to 2024.

Towards the end of 2024 work will commence on a new RAP for implementation in 2025.

While the RAP is Australia-focused, across the Tasman, a plan is being developed to progress a Tiriti o Waitangi (Treaty of Waitangi) strategy for the college. The strategy will consider what actions ANZCA can take under each of the principles set out by the Waitangi Tribunal Health Services and Outcomes Inquiry and endorsed by the Ministry of Health in its “Whakamaua: Māori health plan 2020-2025”.

The action plan will also set out proposed New Zealandspecific actions that address our commitment statement, such as fostering the college’s relationship with Māori, supporting Māori fellows and trainees and striving to improve the health of Māori.

Our New Zealand colleagues recently attended the launch of the Cultural Safety Training Plan for Vocational Medicine in Aotearoa.

It’s the first plan of its kind worldwide to be implemented into the curriculum of specialist medical training, and will help achieve equity and the aspirations of Māori towards reaching their full health potential (see page 27).

Nigel Fidgeon ANZCA Chief Executive Officer