3 minute read
Chief executive officer’s message
College continues to meet challenges
AS WE ENTER Spring after another challenging year associated with the global pandemic, it is clear the consequences of COVID-19 are taking an even greater toll on the health workforce and pressure faced by our health services is increasing. The relentless furloughing of the workforce, difficulties in taking planned leave and workloads in hospitals have come at a significant cost to many aspects of our daily lives. When COVID-19 first emerged in early 2020 the entire workforce had to respond to the immediate priorities on our health systems across Australia and New Zealand, and in fact the world. The ANZCA community has not been immune to these many challenges, and we now see the longer-term implications for our health workforce.
Governments across multiple jurisdictions and federally on both sides of the Tasman are grappling with the consequence the pandemic has brought to the health workforce and a wide range of projects have been initiated with new funding. There are too many to list, but these initiatives are responding to severe labour shortages and staff burnout. ANZCA continues to be actively involved and engaged across Australia and New Zealand in providing advice and input into meaningful solutions for some of the challenges the system now faces. This will not be an easy, one-size-fits all solution and it will no doubt take several years to readjust and rebuild capacity in our health systems. All this is in the context of a global health workforce shortage as countries try to lure staff. “Robbing Peter to pay Paul” is a catch phrase that comes to mind. Responding to growing surgical waiting lists and delayed diagnostics and treatment will play out over a long time, presenting new workforce pressures as the backlog of patient demand is met.
Meanwhile, the work of the college has continued unabated. We have successfully held exams across Australia and New Zealand and our Lifelong Learning project will see the implementation of a suite of new systems for the college to support our fellows, trainees and specialist international medical graduates. The initial implementation of a new online training portfolio system has commenced for the Faculty of Pain Medicine and our ultimate plan is to roll this new system out college wide. Online exam platform pilots have also been successful, and we plan to go live with this system in the second half of 2023 with ANZCA moving to this platform in 2024. The many changes associated with the new continuing professional development (CPD) requirements of the Medical Board of Australia and the Medical Council of New Zealand have been incorporated into the ANZCA CPD system. The system will be uplifted to ensure full functionality of the new requirements are available for the changes from January 2023. ANZCA will also transition as part of these changes to the new “CPD homes” framework.
The new learning management system will replace the current, outdated CPD portfolio system now in place. This will ultimately provide a superior, user-friendly one stop repository of college materials supporting training and CPD. Planning for the 2023 ANZCA Annual Scientific Meeting as a face-to-face event is on target though online content is also planned for registrants. The ongoing impacts of COVID-19 in its third year continue to require constant agility and ANZCA staff have responded to provide continuing support to seamlessly deliver on a large workplan of college activities, and I am appreciative of the team.
Nigel Fidgeon ANZCA Chief Executive Officer
