About us
ANZSPM is the speciality medical society that facilitates professional development and support for its members and promotes the practice of palliative medicine to improve the quality of care of patients with life threatening illnesses and support for their families.
Our society embraces the definition of Palliative Medicine adopted in Great Britain in 1987. This is quoted in the opening pages in Doyle's Oxford Textbook of Palliative Medicine - "Palliative Medicine is the study and management of patients with active, progressive, far-advanced disease for whom the prognosis is limited and the focus of care is the quality of life".
Our mission
Promoting excellence and fostering the professional development of doctors who practice palliative medicine.
Our vision
To be the driving force of palliative medicine in Australia and New Zealand
Our values
- Equity of access for all to specialist and non-specialist palliative medicine.
- Transparency, accountability, honesty and integrity.
- Not hastening death or prolonging dying.
- The diversity of practitioners and the promotion of consistency of practice and ethics.
- Best practice, service excellence.
What we do
ANZSPM, as the professional body for doctors caring for individuals who are diagnosed with a life threatening illness and their families, is involved in many activities including:
- Advancing the discipline of palliative medicine
- Advocating to Government on behalf of our members
- Professional development and support by means of website, the newsletter three times per year, monthly E-updates in the months that the newsletter is not published, and a biennial conference
- Supporting trainees through educational days and trainee information sessions
- Critique and endorsement of policy documents, educational material and statements produced by bodies such as the RACP and the Specialty Societies.
- Consulting and providing advice to other organisations involved in end of life care
Organisation
The Society is managed by a Council consisting of a President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer and 5 General Councillors. According to the Constitution, no more than 3 members of the Council can be from any one State or New Zealand. There is a New Zealand branch and the New Zealand members elect a New Zealand Council to conduct its business.
The President is elected biannually at the Annual General Meeting. The Chairperson of the New Zealand Branch automatically a member of the ANZSPM Council and seven other Councillors are elected biennially at the Annual General Meeting.
Council 2007 - 2008
| Name | Office |
|---|---|
| Dr Odette Spruyt | President |
| Dr Greg Crawford | Secretary |
| Dr Patricia Treston | Treasurer |
| Professor Janet Hardy | General councillor / Newsletter Editor |
| Dr Phillip Good | Vice-President |
| Dr Mary McNulty | General councillor |
| Dr Joy Percy | New Zealand Chair |
| Dr Frank Brennan | General councillor |
| Dr Scott King | General councillor / trainee representative |
| Dr Mark Boughey | General councillor |
New Zealand branch executive
| Name | Office | |
|---|---|---|
| Dr Joy Percy | Chair | joy.percy@midcentraldhb.co.nz |
| Dr Cathy Miller | Secretary | CathyM@adhb.govt.nz |
| Dr Andrew Wilson | Treasurer | andrew.wilson@nmhs.govt.nz |
| Dr Wendy Muircroft | Trainee representative | WMuircroft@adhb.govt.nz |
| Dr Jonathan Adler | Jonathan.Adler@ccdhb.org.nz |