NZMA Welcomes New Chairman

Dr John Adams has been elected Chairman of the New Zealand Medical Association. He takes over from Dr Pippa MacKay today (4 April).

Dr Adams, a psychiatrist, is Medical Director of The Ashburn Clinic, a private psychiatric centre in Dunedin. He is a long-time NZMA Board member and has been Deputy Chairman for the last three years.

He sees his role as "doing the utmost to support the excellence of the interaction of doctor with patient".

Dr Adams will continue the NZMA's approach of seeking early involvement in health policy development and advocating practical solutions to policy issues.

"There are currently many threats to the integrity of the health environment, including the danger of fragmentation, cost cutting and the inevitable pressure on services, and the growth in health sector bureaucracy," he said. "We hope to help avoid ideologies which appear to lack common sense and have had the effect of sucking money and time away from clinical medicine, as has happened in the past.

"My goals, as Chairman, include advocating for the health and safety of New Zealanders, and for the professional independence of the doctors who care for them," he concluded.

Rotorua GP Dr Tricia Briscoe is the new Deputy Chairman of the NZMA.

Dr Briscoe currently chairs the progressive Rotorua General Practice Group, a regional Independent Practitioner Association.

Most recently, Dr Briscoe chaired the Test Panel for General Practice Compliance Costs, which released its report last month. This project aims to reduce GPs' day-to-day administrative burden.

Dr Briscoe has been a member of the NZMA Board for the past three years, providing a voice for medical practitioners working outside of the major cities.

ENDS

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