FPM Board meeting update: March - May 2026

Governance

Election and board membership

Dr Dilip Kapur has concluded his term as the FPM Dean and the faculty is pleased to announce that Professor Michael Veltman, based in Perth, commenced as the new FPM Dean on 3 May 2026.

The FPM Board elected Dr Irina Hollington to the office bearer role of FPM Vice-Dean-elect. Dr Hollington, based in South Australia, commenced her role as the FPM Vice-Dean on 3 May 2026.

The faculty also welcomes new board member Dr Glen Sheh, from New South Wales, who was elected by the fellowship earlier this year and succeeds Dr Murray Taverner.

The faculty also takes this opportunity to thank the Immediate Past ANZCA President Prof Dave Story for his leadership and service and welcomes Dr Tanya Selak as the new ANZCA President.

Changes in committee and role appointments

At its board meeting on 6 May, the following key changes in appointments were approved:

• Chair, Training and Assessment Executive Committee – Dr Irina Hollington.
• Chair, Professional Affairs Executive Committee – Dr Noam Winter.
• Chair, Training Unit Accreditation Committee – Dr Tania Morris.
• Chair, Scientific Meetings Committee – Dr Zoe Vella.
• FPM ASM Officer on the ANZCA ASM and Events Planning Committee – Dr Zoe Vella.
• FPM CPD Officer – Dr Maleeka Khullar.
• FPM representative on the ANZCA Professional Affairs Executive Committee – Dr Noam Winter.
• FPM representative on the Chapter of Perioperative Medicine, Education and Assessment Committee – Dr Amutha Samuel.
• FPM representatives on the Accreditation Renewal Steering Group – the addition of Dr Kieran Davis.
• FPM representative on the Australian Pain Society Pain in Childhood SIG – Dr Hannah Bennett.

The committee membership of the FPM Australian regional committees was approved and can be viewed here.

The faculty would like to extend its appreciation to all FPM fellows who continue to engage with the work improving training and education of specialist pain physicians and advocating for pain across the broader community.

Key governance documents

The new FPM Board Charter has been developed and is intended to provide clarity on the roles, responsibilities and conduct of the board and to serve as a clear reference point for governance practice. In addition, the faculty has also developed new terms of reference for the roles of FPM Dean and FPM Vice-Dean to provide clarity in role scope, governance boundaries and procedural responsibilities, particularly in relation to operational decision-making and representation.

FPM Board review 

The FPM Board has commissioned an independent external review of its governance and effectiveness.

This review reflects the board’s commitment to continuous improvement and high standards of governance, and will consider areas including board performance, decision-making processes, leadership and succession. The review will take a system-level approach, drawing on recognised governance frameworks and focusing on how the board operates collectively to support effective, transparent and sustainable governance.

Strategy

Specialist Training Program Support Project 

The faculty has been successful in securing grant funding from the Specialist Training Program Support Project to develop a business case to strengthen pain management capability among rural and regional specialist trainees.

Australian Standards for Health Practitioner Pain Management Education 

The new national standards for pain management education were soft launched on Thursday 26 March, with a formal launch event planned in Canberra on 29 June 2026. In addition, the faculty has developed an online hub of resources to underpin the standards.

Acute Pain Management: Scientific Evidence (APMSE) 

The board approved a Project Steering Group for the next phase of Acute Pain Management: Scientific Evidence (APMSE) to provide governance oversight for the development of a proof-of-concept by the end of 2026. The group will include senior representatives from across ANZCA and FPM and will be chaired by Dr Dilip Kapur.

FPM Sustainability Plan

The board endorsed "The future of pain medicine: a five-year sustainability plan (2026–2031)." The plan sets out a coordinated approach to:

• Workforce sustainability and training capacity.
• Education reform and accreditation readiness.
• Advocacy and health system impact.
• Data, research and evidence-informed care.
• Financial resilience and diversification.

Professional affairs

2026 Spring Meeting 

Arrangements are under way for the Spring Meeting which will be held at the RACV City Club in Melbourne on Friday 2 and Saturday 3 October. The event will be launched shortly.

Education and training

International Education Network

The Training and Assessment Executive Committee approved the membership of the inaugural International Education Network, chaired by Hong Kong fellow Dr Timmy Chan, with the first meeting of the network held on 8 April 2026.

The Education Network has been established to support and promote high-quality education and training activities in pain medicine outside Australia and New Zealand, in alignment with the strategic priorities of ANZCA and FPM. It also provides a platform for fellows and trainees located internationally (outside Australia and New Zealand) to share insights, access support, raise issues and contribute to developing education and training resources.

The Education Network is a non-decision-making body that will report to the FPM Training and Assessment Executive Committee.

FPM and OPEN partnership and the future of Better Pain Management

The FPM Board and ANZCA Council have endorsed a partnership with the Online Pain Education Network (OPEN) to support a contemporary, standards-aligned approach to pain education across the health workforce. Planning is underway to transition from the Better Pain Management (BPM) program to the OPEN platform in a managed and staged way, with a focus on continuity for current users and minimising disruption.

NHPO ombudsman and model accreditation standards

Following the release of the National Health Practitioner Ombudsman (NHPO) report, the faculty has continued to be actively involved in cross-college work to prepare for implementation of the model accreditation standards and procedures.

The FPM Board approved the adoption of the model accreditation standards for implementation from the beginning of 2027. This includes submission of an FPM-specific requirement, noting the need for jurisdictional consultation and approval through the Australian Medical Council Specialist Education Accreditation Committee and the Medical Council of New Zealand.

Early adoption will allow sufficient time for faculty-specific branding, publication, and communication with accredited units, and provides greater certainty for training providers as accreditation expectations evolve.

Accreditation

The following units have been (re)accredited since the March board meeting

FPM new fellows admitted to fellowship (as of 6 May 2026)