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RESIDENT MEDICAL OFFICERS' UNIT

Anaesthesia

The Department of Anaesthesia is based at Christchurch Hospital and provides anaesthetic services to Canterbury District Health Board, the government owned Hospital and Health Service in Christchurch.

The Department provides Anaesthetists for locations spread between Christchurch Hospital, Christchurch Women's Hospital (high risk obstetrics) and Burwood Hospital (orthopaedics). The annual workload consists of approximately 26,000 anaesthetics per year of which approximately 40% are acute admissions.

The Department shares staff with the Pain Management Centre at Burwood Hospital, the Intensive Care Unit, and the Hyperbaric Medicine Unit.

Canterbury District Health Board works closely with the Christchurch School of Medicine’s Department of Anaesthesia, with which it shares secretarial staff and office space. The Department has a strong academic focus and endeavours to create an environment where research is encouraged and supported.

The Department consists of 42 Specialist Anaesthetists, 4 Medical Officers/Provisional Fellows, 16 Anaesthetic Registrars, 5 Senior House Officers, 39 Anaesthetic Technicians, 2 Staff Nurses and 3 Secretarial/Administration staff.

All of the registrar posts are recognised as training posts by the Australian & New Zealand College of Anaesthetists.  These posts are part of the South Island Training scheme and rotations (see pdf link below).  Registrar rotations to ICU, Chronic Pain and Timaru will be on a 3-6 monthly basis. Three month registrar training runs are available in:

Experience is also available in all other surgical sub-specialities including plastics and surgery for patients with spinal injuries.

The registrars provide on site out of hours cover at both Christchurch Women's Hospital and Christchurch Hospital. Their roles are predominantly in the operating theatre (or labour ward) but also assist with in-hospital resuscitation. The SHO provides on site after hours cover of the Post Anaesthesia Care Unit at Burwood and also some out of hours anaesthetic service at Christchurch Hospital.

For further information please contact

Dr Jennifer Woods, Supervisor of Training, on (64 3) 3640 288  

For detailed information regarding the South Island Training Programme 
Click on this link to download an pdf file

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