Auckland’s Andrew Warmington takes over reins

Media release – October 17, 2007

Auckland’s Andrew Warmington takes over reins of NZ Society of Anaesthetists

Auckland’s Andrew Warmington will take over the reins of the New Zealand Society of Anaesthetists (NZSA) at the annual conference in Auckland next month.

Dr Warmington succeeds outgoing president Graham Sharpe who has been in the post for the last two years.

Dr Warmington is an obstetric anaesthetist at Auckland City Hospital, an amateur thespian and likes to ride his motorcycle.

Dr Sharpe remains on the executive as immediate past president and he is convenor of the joint Australian and NZ societies’ congress in Wellington next year. He will also talk at next month’s conference about ‘quackery and pseudoscience’ in New Zealand.

``We need a strong society to represent the interests of anaesthetists in NZ and to ensure that members’ continuing educational needs are appropriate to NZ workplace conditions,’’ he said.

NZSA executive officer Philippa Bascand said Sharpe’s farewell speech as president would be hard hitting and a controversial ``expose of the rise of crank medicine in New Zealand’’.

``Graham has never been afraid of fighting politically correct dogma at the highest level. He has hit out at those who fudge the line between medicine and quackery.’’

He has been especially outspoken against herbal medicine and alternative therapies. He vociferously challenged the provision of elective health services during his term as president and spoke out in support of the Government’s approach to a joint therapeutic products and medicines regime with Australia.

In Singapore last year Dr Sharpe successfully led the NZSA bid to host an international meeting of anaesthetists from 49 countries. NZ outbid China and will host the significant conference in Auckland in 2014.

Ends

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