ANZCA – Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists
The Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA), which includes the Faculty of Pain Medicine, is the professional body responsible for the specialities of anaesthesia and pain medicine. The college represents nearly 10,000 specialist anaesthetists and pain medicine physicians and trainees. ANZCA is a non-government, not-for-profit organisation.
The work of ANZCA includes setting the practice standards, training and continuing education of specialist anaesthetists and pain medicine physicians and supporting research that provides the evidence underpinning safety and standards.
The Faculty of Pain Medicine has a history of engagement with the community, particularly through its contribution to the National Pain Strategy and its membership of Pain Australia.
Vision and mission
ANZCA's vision is "to be a recognised world leader in training, education, research, and in setting standards for anaesthesia and pain medicine".
The Faculty of Pain Medicine has also developed its own vision, "to reduce the burden of pain on society through education, advocacy, training and research".
ANZCA's 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".
From this purpose flow three major objectives:
- To promote professional standards and patient safety in anaesthesia, perioperative medicine and pain medicine.
- To promote education in anaesthesia, perioperative medicine and pain medicine.
- To advance the science and practice of anaesthesia, perioperative medicine and pain medicine.
How ANZCA can help
ANZCA serves the community by fostering safety and high-quality patient care in anaesthesia, perioperative medicine and pain medicine.
Most people will need the care of an anaesthetist at some stage in their lives, including pain relief during the birth of a baby, for routine day-stay procedures or for major operations requiring complex, split-second decisions that keep patients alive.
Pain is the most common reason that people seek medical help, yet it is one of the most neglected areas of healthcare. One in five Australians live with chronic pain including adolescents and children, and this increases to one in three people aged over 65.