On behalf of the Perioperative Medicine Special Interest Group, I am pleased to invite you to the 14th Annual Australian and New Zealand Symposium of Perioperative Medicine. This meeting is heading to Aotearoa New Zealand for the first time and will run from 27-29 November in Wellington, New Zealand. Please click here to register.

This year’s theme “POM: Partnering for better outcomes” is based on one of the key concepts of perioperative medicine, that of collaboration to deliver the best outcomes and experiences during a person’s perioperative journey. We will explore partnering with patients, their whānau (family) and the community to improve their experiences. We will have speakers examining the topic of partnering to deliver optimal care in the health professions.

Our keynote speaker is Professor Ramani Moonesinghe from University College London who is a long-time advocate for improving perioperative care and patient outcomes. She will be supported by speakers from New Zealand, Australia, and Singapore from varied health backgrounds. As it is our first time hosting this meeting in New Zealand, we will acknowledge work that has been going on in the New Zealand perioperative medicine space.

The program consists of plenary sessions that will explore our theme. There will be a morning of concurrent sessions on Friday 28 November to focus on updates in specific perioperative medicine topics in more depth. 

We will also run an optional coaching workshop “Coaching skills to partner for better outcomes” offered by Dr Sancha Robinson on Friday morning that up to 20 delegates can attend (instead of the concurrent sessions) for an additional fee. This interactive workshop focuses on developing basic practical coaching skills to foster stronger partnerships with colleagues and patients in the perioperative space. Participants will learn how to use coaching techniques such as deep listening, asking questions and reflecting to improve communication, build trust and empower others, leading to better outcomes. It is suitable for all meeting participants who are curious about coaching, no previous experience needed.

We look forward to seeing you in Wellington.