FPM Board meeting update - July 2026
This is a report following the FPM Board meeting held on Sunday 29 July 2026 at ANZCA House in Melbourne.
Governance
FPM Board review
The board considered the findings of the independent governance review undertaken by Culture on Purpose. The review included a confidential board survey, interviews with board members and executive staff, and a review of governance documentation. The review found that the board is operating effectively, with strong expertise, commitment and a constructive culture. It also identified opportunities to further strengthen governance, decision-making and board effectiveness.
The board discussed the review’s findings and endorsed a program of continuous governance improvement which will be implemented over the coming year.
FPM Board casual vacancy
Following consideration of the strategic benefits and timing of filling the current board casual vacancy that resulted from Dr Dilip Kapur's resignation from the board, the board determined not to appoint a replacement at this stage. With the 2027 board election process commencing shortly, eligible fellows will instead have the opportunity to nominate through the normal election process.
Indigenous Health Committee
The board approved a revised governance arrangement enabling the Indigenous Health Committee to report directly to the FPM Board, strengthening Indigenous input into strategic decision-making and governance. The committee will be consulted on its preferred reporting arrangements before implementation.
FPM bylaws
The board has supported amendments to the following bylaws:
- Bylaw 3: Fellowship of the Faculty, expanding recognition of additional primary specialties from Hong Kong and Singapore.
- Bylaw 21: FPM Prizes and Awards, extending the eligibility timeframe of the FPM Dean’s Prize from eight years to 10 years post fellowship, recognising career diversity and encouraging broader participation in research.
The proposed amendments will be submitted to ANZCA Council for approval.
Strategy
Five-year sustainability plan
The board reviewed progress on implementation of the FPM Five-year sustainability plan (2026 to 2031) and endorsed the 2026 to 2027 strategic implementation roadmap.
The roadmap will guide delivery of the faculty’s highest priority initiatives and provide a structured framework for monitoring progress against the sustainability plan.
Rural Pain Capability Project
The board noted progress on the Rural Pain Capability Project, an Australian Government Specialist Training Program funded initiative designed to strengthen chronic pain capability among rural and regional medical specialists and trainees.
The project will identify current capability gaps and inform development of an implementation-ready education and training model to improve access to high-quality pain care across rural and regional Australia.
Australian Standards for Health Practitioner Pain Management Education
The board noted the successful national launch of the Australian Standards for Health Practitioner Pain Management Education in Canberra in June, together with ongoing work to support implementation through the forthcoming Pain Standards Education Summit and associated education resources.
Advocacy
National pain data and outcomes
The board reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening national pain outcomes measurement following the announced closure of ePPOC.
The board supported continued sector collaboration to ensure continuity of benchmarking, common data standards and development of a sustainable national outcomes framework, while noting that no decision has been made regarding a future platform.
Chronic Pain Australia petition
The board endorsed support for Chronic Pain Australia’s Make Pain Count campaign, which calls for chronic pain to be recognised within Australia’s national health data collections.
The initiative aligns with the faculty’s advocacy priorities to improve recognition of the burden of chronic pain and strengthen evidence to inform health policy and service planning.
Professional affairs
Practice Assessment Pathway
The board endorsed transition arrangements for closure of the Practice Assessment Pathway (PAP) on 31 December 2026. From 2027, the Supervised Clinical Experience Pathway (SCEP) will become the sole pathway for new procedural endorsement applicants. Further information can be found here.
Professional documents
The board have approved PS16(PM) Scope of Clinical Practice for specialist pain medicine physicians (including its background paper PS16(PM) BP) for a six-month pilot period.
The board also noted continued progress on several key professional documents, including:
- ANZCA PS60 relating to the role of non-medical healthcare professionals in anaesthesia, pain medicine and perioperative medicine, which will shortly be circulated for feedback.
- PS16 (PM), the FPM position statement on the scope of practice of specialist pain medicine physicians appears on the agenda, seeking board approval for a six-month pilot period.
- The position statement on structure and standards for multidisciplinary pain management is also nearing completion, and it is anticipated that a draft document will be circulated to high level committees within the next few weeks.
- PS-10 [PM], the FPM position statement on the use of cannabis and related medications in pain management is under review.
- PS12 [PM], the FPM position statement on the use of ketamine in chronic non-cancer pain is also under review.
- The FPM position statement on the provision of pain management to children and adolescents is currently under development.
2026 FPM Spring Meeting
Registration for the 2026 FPM Spring Meeting is now open, with the event to be held at the RACV City Club in Melbourne on Friday 2 and Saturday 3 October.
The meeting will be preceded by the inaugural Pain Standards Education Summit on 30 September, supporting implementation of the Australian Standards for Health Practitioner Pain Management Education.
2027 Emerging Leaders Conference
Dr Tipu Aamir has been nominated as the board member-in-residence, to attend the 2027 Emerging Leaders Conference that will be held at Mount Lofty House, in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia. He will join FPM Dean Prof Michael Veltman and board member Dr Jonathan Ramachenderan at the event.
Education and training
External long case assessment
The board approved retirement of the summative external long case assessment and its transition to a formative assessment within the entrustable professional activities (EPA) framework.
This represents an important step in the ongoing modernisation of the FPM training program and aligns assessment with contemporary programmatic assessment principles. Current trainees completing fellowship requirements in 2026 will continue under existing arrangements.
Entrustable professional activities
The board approved transition arrangements supporting implementation of entrustable professional activities across the FPM training program.
Communication with supervisors of training and trainees will commence to support implementation and ensure a smooth transition to the new assessment framework.
FPM new fellows admitted to fellowship (as of 28 July 2026)
The following new fellows were admitted to fellowship since the last board meeting update:
Dr Susheela Perumal, FAFRM(RACP), FFPMANZCA, New Zealand
Dr Lui Ho Kwan Daniel, FFPMANZCA, FHKAM(Anaes), Hong Kong
Dr Andrew McMahon, FFPMANZCA, FRACGP, ACT
Dr Harrison Mihailidis, FAFRM(RACP), FFPMANZCA, Vic
Dr Shun Yu Alex Wong, FFPMANZCA, FHKCA (Anaesthesiology), Hong Kong
Dr Jayanti Dutta, FFPMANZCA, FRACP, ACT
