President’s message

New college strategic plan a roadmap for risk

Over this year ANZCA has created a strategy for the organisation that will guide us from 2023 to 2025. We have moved from our previous five-year strategic plan to a threeyear plan in recognition of the rapid pace of change in our environment.

Formulation of the strategic plan involved widespread consultation both within and external to our organisation including a consideration of risks and threats. Risk is an interesting topic that no serious organisation can ignore but I wonder how many had a pandemic that would stop the world in its tracks on their risk register in 2019? We certainly didn’t but fared well by being responsive, adaptive and relying on the goodwill of our fellows to allow our training program to continue. Our risk register is a comprehensive document that lists all our known and potential risks and puts them into context by assessing their significance and likelihood and then considering mitigation strategies. The risk register is a living document that is reviewed and regularly updated by the Finance, Audit and Risk Management Committee and ANZCA Council. I would like to outline some of the threats and risks for ANZCA that have informed our strategy. Firstly, we are lucky to have a large volunteer workforce that is essential in allowing us to function and is involved in all aspects of college activity. I once calculated the time put in by final examiners to prepare and deliver each exam at more than 2500 hours. This would be similar for the primary exam and represents an enormous effort from this dedicated group of individuals who represent just one facet of the volunteer army. We do this because we see value in the work and understand it ultimately results in better training outcomes and patient care. However, there is a risk that ANZCA does not continue to nurture this relationship with our fellows. Hopefully our new strategy will continue to support, engage and encourage new fellows to get involved. The second risk is the potential encroachment of other providers into our traditional workplace. This is an increasing phenomenon, fuelled by COVID-19 and already happening in other areas and specialities such as pharmacy prescribing and the suggested use of YAG lasers by optometrists. In our specialty the threat of nurse anaesthetists is real, as evidenced by the 50,000 or so certified registered nurse anaesthetists (CRNAs) in the US who are pushing for more independence in the workplace. These changes are driven by perceived anaesthesia shortages, pressure from other providers and a desire by some to reduce the influence of the specialty medical colleges who are strong advocates of safety and quality. We need to remain strong in this space. Lastly, there is the ever-changing regulatory environment around us.

It should generally be well known by now that the Medical Board of Australia and the Medical Council of New Zealand are changing continuing professional development (CPD) requirements. One of the main drivers is the concern about doctors who are currently not registered for CPD – highly unlikely for anaesthetists. The excellent team at ANZCA, led by councillor Deb Devonshire, is well placed to handle these changes but they were essentially introduced with minimal consultation from the specialty colleges and have created problems that may have been avoided.

We have also recently been challenged on use of the term “diploma” by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) which is the regulatory body that accredits educational organisations. Many colleges offer diplomas which are often targeted at sub-specialty areas or general practitioners, particularly in rural areas. This dilemma, which could impact our diplomas in perioperative medicine and rural generalist anaesthesia, is being negotiated. In addressing these issues and interacting with these organisations we aim to remain a respected and trusted voice.