Farewells

Without his ASMS commitments, Murray is planning more time on his tractor.

Professor Murray Barclay

ASMS’ immediate past President and Canterbury DHB gastroenterologist and clinical pharmacologist Professor Murray Barclay decided late last year to step down from the National Executive.

He was elected on to the Executive in 2013 and served as President between 2018 and 2021.

He says he took over at a pivotal time when the immediate focus was to find a new Executive Director after Ian Powell, who’d been at the helm for 30 years, announced his intention to leave.

Months of work went into navigating and managing the recruitment process. “We took it extremely seriously and did our homework. No matter who was chosen, I wanted members to feel the process had been robust.” As a self-confirmed data geek, Murray says he wanted to make the most of ASMS’ research.

“My research background meant that I was keen to see good data on important issues to help drive improvement. I was therefore very supportive of increasing the research capacity of ASMS.” For Murray, research on doctor shortages, burnout and the gender pay gap were top of mind. “I felt strongly that we needed to focus on the 40% of our members who were female and getting treated worse than the other 60% of our membership. I wanted to see that there was a process for that to be fully addressed and corrected.” The need for ASMS to put patients at the middle of any debate was another strong focus for Murray, and he worked to highlight concerns and data around unmet need and long waiting times. He found he was what he describes as a “naturally aggressive negotiator” when it came to leading MECA negotiations, and he enjoyed the bargaining environment. “It is my firm belief that at the end of the day, the way we are going to solve doctor shortages and burnout is to have better salaries and conditions to help doctors stay in New Zealand or attract them from overseas.”

His goal was to make an ambitious attempt to overcome the pay gap with Australia and was disappointed when Covid-19 interfered in the 2020 negotiations and “we had to step things back”. Murray is proud of establishing a Charter and a Code of Conduct for the National Executive, which he says gives it a firmer footing going forward. Focusing on clinical leadership and creating a document around the role of the clinical director was another key piece of work that he prioritised. He’s keen to see it actively promoted and discussed. What Murray enjoyed the most about his time as President was not so much centred on personal achievement but rather on the people he met and worked with – members, National Executive colleagues, ASMS staff and people from different organisations. National Executive member and former Vice President Dr Julian Fuller says despite holding so many other professional responsibilities, Murray devoted an enormous amount of time to ASMS.

He describes him as a calm and thoughtful President who was unflappable and dedicated.

“He has been a great asset to us over his time. We will miss his quiet determination, and contribution, and wish him and his family well.”

Dr Annette van Zeist-Jongman

Annette served as Waikato Branch President from 2012 to 2018 and was elected on to the National Executive in 2018. She resigned early this year to move back to her home country of the Netherlands. She had worked in New Zealand since 2007 as a consultant forensic psychiatrist. ASMS President Julian Vyas says Annette was “a keen supporter for work ASMS has been doing to address unfairness in the workplace – such as the gender pay gap and equity of member representation.”

Tim Frendin

We want to acknowledge the retirement of Hawke’s Bay geriatrician Dr Tim Frendin from both clinical practice and ASMS after a long association. Tim spent ten years on the National Executive from 2009 to 2019. Tim said, “The association I have had with ASMS over the past 30 years has been one of the most outstanding aspects and privileges of a professional life and career, in particular the 10 years I was fortunate enough to spend on the National Executive.”