Anaesthetists

I grew up on a farm in small town New Zealand and have always felt a deep connection with the rural community of this country. In 1991 I moved to Auckland to study medicine and went on to do my anaesthesia training in the Auckland area and at Waikato Hospital. I then undertook a fellowship in obstetric anaesthesia at National Women’s Hospital. My interest in obstetric anaesthesia linked in well with my second fellowship at North Shore hospital which was in bariatric and major abdominal surgery.

I have been a specialist anaesthetist at Waikato Hospital since 2006. Very early on in my consultant career I unexpectedly found myself being asked to take on roles in clinical leadership, first as the lead obstetric anaesthetist and then as one of the deputy directors and director of training in the Department of Anaesthesia. During this time, I have instigated a number of changes which I believe have improved our specialty’s delivery of health care to the people of the Waikato and the quality of anaesthesia training in our region. I have become a firm believer in the importance of health care being led by the clinicians who deliver it at the coal face.

Outside of work I have many interests but enjoy spending most of my time with my family and dogs, practising martial arts, kayaking, and photography.