Professional documents
ANZCA's professional documents are crucial for promoting the quality and safety of patient care for those undergoing anaesthesia for surgical and other procedures.
The professional documents define the College’s requirements for training and for hospitals providing such training, provide guidance to the College’s trainees and Fellows on standards of anaesthetic practice, define the College’s policies, and serve other purposes that the College deems appropriate. Professional documents are also referred to by government and other bodies, particularly with regard to accreditation of healthcare facilities.
The professional documents are regularly reviewed and amended in accordance with changes in knowledge, practice and technology. A01 Policy for the Development and Review of Professional Documents guides this process. For further information or feedback about the professional documents, please email profdocs@anzca.edu.au.
Current ANZCA professional documents are available below. Faculty of Pain Medicine professional documents can be accessed here.
Please note that on January 1, 2010, the College of Intensive Care Medicine (CICM), formerly the Joint Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine (JFICM), was established as an independent entity. All references to JFICM within professional documents should be interpreted as references to CICM.
Recent developments
In an effort to rationalise and streamline the professional documents, the technical category (“T”) has been abolished. The following documents are now professional standards (“PS”):
- PS54 Statement on the Minimum Safety Requirements for Anaesthetic Machines and Workstations for Clinical Practice (previously T03)
- PS55 Recommendations on Minimum Facilities for Safe Administration of Anaesthesia in Operating Suites and Other Anaesthetising Locations (previously T01)
- PS56 Guidelines on Equipment to Manage a Difficult Airway During Anaesthesia (previously T04).
PS54 Statement on the Minimum Safety Requirements for Anaesthetic Machines and Workstations for Clinical Practice has been reissued following a close of pilot review. A newly developed background paper is also available. ANZCA Council has extended the timeline for compliance until January 1, 2014 to allow manufacturers time to either develop the required modifications or additions to their machines, or to source adequate alternatives from other manufacturers which are compatible with their machines.
PS03 Guidelines for the Management of Major Regional Analgesia has been reissued with minor amendments, following a close of pilot review.
Two training and educational (“TE”) professional documents are now professional standards (“PS”):
- PS57 Guidelines on the Duties of an Anaesthetist (previously TE06)
- PS58 Guidelines on Quality Assurance in Anaesthesia (previously TE09).
TE11 Policy on the Formal Project has been the subject of an interim review, ensuring alignment with the provisions of regulations 37 and 38.
TE04 Policy on Duties of Regional/National Education Officers in Anaesthesia and TE05 Policy for Supervisors of Training in Anaesthesia have been subjected to an interim review as forms "R1" and "R2" are no longer in use.
Following a pilot phase, a definitive version of PS40 Statement on the Relationship between Fellows, Trainees and the Healthcare Industry has been promulgated, accompanied by a background paper.
A01 Policy for the Development and Review of Professional Documents has been reissued following an interim review, reflecting refinements to the development and review process.
PS31 Guidelines on Checking Anaesthesia Delivery Systems and PS37 Guidelines for Health Practitioners Administering Local Anaesthesia have been revised. These documents and newly developed background papers are now being piloted.
All ANZCA professional documents can now be downloaded in one zip file. Please scroll down to access this feature.
Code of professional conduct
The Code of Professional Conduct provides guidelines for the professional behaviour expected of Fellows. The code complements the College’s professional documents and emphasises that Fellows have a responsibility to honour these documents and contribute to their ongoing development and revision.
Professional standards
- PS01 Recommendations on Essential Training for Rural General Practitioners in Australia Proposing to Administer Anaesthesia
- PS02 Statement on Credentialling and Defining the Scope of Clinical Practice in Anaesthesia
- PS03 Guidelines for the Management of Major Regional Analgesia
- PS04 Recommendations for the Post-Anaesthesia Recovery Room
- PS06 The Anaesthesia Record. Recommendations on the Recording of an Episode of Anaesthesia Care
- PS07 Recommendations for the Pre-Anaesthesia Consultation
- PS08 Recommendations on the Assistant for the Anaesthetist
- PS09 Guidelines on Sedation and/or Analgesia for Diagnostic and Interventional Medical, Dental or Surgical Procedures
- PS12 Statement on Smoking as Related to the Perioperative Period
- PS15 Recommendations for the Perioperative Care of Patients Selected for Day Care Surgery
- PS16 Statement on the Standards of Practice of a Specialist Anaesthetist
- PS18 Recommendations on Monitoring During Anaesthesia
- PS19 Recommendations on Monitored Care by an Anaesthetist
- PS26 Guidelines on Consent for Anaesthesia or Sedation
- PS27 Guidelines for Fellows Who Practise Major Extracorporeal Perfusion
- PS28 Guidelines on Infection Control in Anaesthesia
- PS29 Statement on Anaesthesia Care of Children in Healthcare Facilities Without Dedicated Paediatric Facilities
- PS31 Guidelines on Checking Anaesthesia Delivery Systems (**PILOT**)
- PS37 Guidelines for Health Practitioners Administering Local Anaesthesia (**PILOT**)
- PS38 Statement Relating to the Relief of Pain and Suffering and End of Life Decisions
- PS39 Minimum Standards for Intrahospital Transport of Critically Ill Patients
- PS40 Statement on the Relationship between Fellows, Trainees and the Healthcare Industry
- PS41 Guidelines on Acute Pain Management
- PS42 Recommendations for Staffing of Departments of Anaesthesia
- PS43 Statement on Fatigue and the Anaesthetist
- PS44 Guidelines to Fellows Acting on Appointments Committees for Senior Staff in Anaesthesia
- PS45 Statement on Patients' Rights to Pain Management and Associated Responsibilities
- PS46 Recommendations for Training and Practice of Diagnostic Perioperative Transoesophageal Echocardiography in Adults
- PS49 Guidelines on the Health of Specialists and Trainees
- PS50 Recommendations on Practice Re-Entry for a Specialist Anaesthetist
- PS51 Guidelines for the Safe Administration of Injectable Drugs in Anaesthesia
- PS52 Minimum Standards for Transport of Critically Ill Patients (previously IC-10)
- PS53 Statement on the Handover Responsibilities of the Anaesthetist (**PILOT**)
- PS54 Statement on the Minimum Safety Requirements for Anaesthetic Machines and Workstations for Clinical Practice (previously T03)
- PS55 Recommendations on Minimum Facilities for Safe Administration of Anaesthesia in Operating Suites and Other Anaesthetising Locations (previously T01)
- PS56 Guidelines on Equipment to Manage a Difficult Airway During Anaesthesia (previously T04)
- PS57 Guidelines on the Duties of an Anaesthetist (previously TE06)
- PS58 Guidelines on Quality Assurance in Anaesthesia (previously TE09)
Training and educational
The ANZCA Handbook for Training and Accreditation, the complementary regulation 37 and the updated Anaesthesia Training Program Curriculum are now available. These three documents are relevant to Australian and New Zealand Fellows, trainees and facilities from the start of the 2013 hospital employment year and incorporate aspects of the training and educational professional documents.
- TE01 Recommendations for Hospitals Seeking College Approval for Vocational Training in Anaesthesia
- TE02 Policy on Vocational Training Modules and Module Supervision
- TE03 Policy on Supervision of Clinical Experience for Vocational Trainees in Anaesthesia
- TE04 Policy on Duties of Regional/National Education Officers in Anaesthesia
- TE05 Policy for Supervisors of Training in Anaesthesia
- TE07 Guidelines for Secretarial and Support Services to Departments of Anaesthesia
- TE08 Guidelines for the Learning Portfolio for Trainees in Anaesthesia
- TE10 Recommendations for Vocational Training Programs
- TE11 Policy on the Formal Project
- TE13 Guidelines for the Provisional Fellowship Program
- TE14 Policy for the In-Training Assessment (ITA) Process (**PILOT**)
- TE18 Policy for Assisting Trainees in Difficulty (**PILOT**)
- TE19 Policy on Trainee Illness or Disability (**PILOT**)
- TE20 Guidelines for Hospitals Seeking College Approval for Vocational Training in Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine (previously PS47)
- TE21 Recommendations for Retrieval Services Seeking College Approval for Vocational Training in Anaesthesia (**PILOT**) (previously PS52)
- TE22 Policy on Simulation Centres Offering the Effective Management of Anaesthetic Crises (EMAC) Course (**PILOT**)
Examinations
The ANZCA Handbook for Training and Accreditation, the complementary regulation 37 and the updated Anaesthesia Training Program Curriculum are now available. These three documents are relevant to Australian and New Zealand Fellows, trainees and facilities from the start of the 2013 hospital employment year and incorporate aspects of EX01 Policy on Examination Candidates Suffering from Illness, Accident or Disability.
Administrative
Zip file
Download all ANZCA professional documents in one zip file here (last updated April 15, 2013).
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