College of Anaesthetists celebrates its 25th anniversary today
ANZCA (the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists) today celebrates 25 years of leadership in medical
research, specialist education and training
and the setting of professional standards. The College was founded on this day in 1992, after 40 years as a faculty of
the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.
Since its founding, ANZCA has taken a leading role in many areas of anaesthesia, pain medicine and intensive care. These
include:
Leading the world in the treatment of pain by establishing the specialty of pain medicine and the Faculty of Pain
Medicine.
Setting professional standards for anaesthetists through professional documents and accreditation.
Answering key questions in medical research by recruiting more than 30,000 patients to help with $25 million worth of
studies for the ANZCA Clinical Trials Network.
Supporting anaesthesia in developing nations such as Papua New Guinea with clinical and educational visits, and the
seeding of the Essential Pain Management program now taught in 47 countries.
Establishing intensive care medicine as a specialty by instituting training and accreditation programs through a joint
Faculty of Intensive Care, and then by helping found the Australian and New Zealand College of Intensive Care Medicine.
ANZCA President Professor David A. Scott said, “Our College is now a respected global leader. ANZCA’s training,
education, research, continuing professional development, events and safety and quality standards are world class.
Ongoing fellowship of ANZCA identifies you as having attained, and maintained, excellence as a specialist.
“As a specialty, we are constantly striving to improve patient care and outcomes. With our ageing population undergoing
more complex procedures, we are becoming even more involved in helping patients prepare for surgery, and in caring for
them afterwards. The growth of perioperative medicine is an important new frontier, with anaesthetists taking a lead
role in patient care before, during and after surgery. The College supports specialist anaesthetists in increasing their
collaboration with other specialties around perioperative care.
“The last 25 years has seen anaesthesia and pain medicine become increasingly sophisticated, effective and safe. We will
continue that progress. Our community has much to celebrate.”
ends