New President and National Executive: senior doctors’ union

New President and National Executive for senior doctors’ union

The senior doctors’ union has a new team at the helm.

Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS), says a new National Executive takes office for a three-year term from 1 April.

Canterbury DHB gastroenterologist and clinical pharmacologist Professor Murray Barclay will take over as National President from Tairawhiti DHB paediatrician Dr Hein Stander. The confirmed list of office holders and regional representatives on the National Executive is:

• National President Murray Barclay (gastroenterologist and clinical pharmacologist, Canterbury)
• Vice-President Julian Fuller (anaesthetist, Waitemata)
• Immediate Past-President Hein Stander (paediatrician, Tairawhiti)
• Region 1 – Julian Vyas (paediatrics, Auckland) and Andrew Ewens (emergency medicine, Waitemata)
• Region 2 - Paul Wilson (anaesthetist, Bay of Plenty) and Annette van Zeist-Jongman (psychiatry, Waikato)
• Region 3 - Tim Frendin (geriatric medicine, Hawke’s Bay) and Angela Freschini (anaesthesia, Tairawhiti)
• Region 4 – Katie Ben (anaesthetist, Nelson Marlborough) and Seton Henderson (intensivist, Canterbury).
Professor Barclay acknowledged Dr Stander’s work as the previous ASMS National President.

“I would like to thank him for his clear leadership and direction, for his obvious compassion for colleagues and patients, and for his measured and thoughtful approach to important issues,” he says.

“Reflecting on recent ASMS activities, important work has been done to highlight the plight of both patients and medical staff in New Zealand public hospitals resulting from resource constraints, including unmet need for patients, specialist burnout, a pending retention crisis over the next five years, and the need to promote improved hospital specialist engagement through genuine clinical leadership.

“This ASMS work will continue and there is an obvious challenge to improve health care for patients through enhancing clinical leadership and working conditions in our public hospitals. I look forward to this challenge.”

Mr Powell says the mix of experience and fresh faces on the National Executive shows the Association is in good heart and ready to tackle the challenges of the next three years.
ENDS

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