Position overview

Canberra Health Services (CHS) is focussed on the delivery of high quality, effective, person-centred care. We provide acute, sub-acute, primary and community‐based health services, to the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and surrounding regions. More information can be found on the CHS website.

Applications are sought for the 2027 clinical year. Positions are for twelve months but applications may be considered for a six-month contract upon request. To be eligible to apply for this position, applicants must be a minimum of Post Graduate Year (PGY) seven from 1 February 2027 and must anticipate completing all ANZCA Advanced Training requirements by 1 February 2027.

Canberra Hospital is a modern 600 bed hospital and the major tertiary teaching hospital for the Australian Capital Territory and surrounding NSW region, serving a population of 1.0 million. The annual surgical caseload is over 19,000.

The Canberra Hospital has positions for up to 34 Registrars and at least 4 Senior Registrars. The Senior Registrar positions are equivalent to Provisional Fellow positions and are pre-approved by ANZCA.

The Department of Anaesthesia, Perioperative Medicine and Pain Management at Canberra Hospital provides a comprehensive range of clinical anaesthesia services for all surgical specialties outside of solid organ transplant and major burns. This includes cardiothoracic surgery, neurosurgery, upper GI, orthopaedic surgery, ENT, vascular surgery, maxillofacial surgery, urology and paediatric surgery along with an active preadmission clinic, and an acute and chronic pain management service. The hospital has 24 operating theatres (including a dedicated MRI neuroanaesthesia suite) and a 36-bed intensive care unit. The new clinical services building, which includes 22 new state-of-the-art operating theatres, opened in August 2024. In addition, the Department of Anaesthesia services several out-of-areas requirements for general anaesthesia or sedation, such as gastroenterology, interventional cardiology, respiratory and brachytherapy.

The Canberra Hospital is the principal teaching hospital of the Australian National University (ANU) School of Medicine and Psychology and has well established research links to the John Curtin School of Medical Research at the ANU as well as to the University of Canberra.

This position will have access to National Capital Private Hospital, Calvary John James Private Hospital and Calvary Bruce Private Hospital, all of which are ANZCA-accredited satellite sites.

The positions available are:

• Perioperative anaesthesia
• Obstetric anaesthesia
• Anaesthesia and hepatobiliary and Upper GIT surgery
• General

More specific information is available below on each of the sub-specialty positions.

This position will be required to provide general anaesthetic services to a wide variety of specialties in a busy anaesthetics department and at times supervise junior trainees.

This position is required to participate in the after-hours roster, including rostered after-hours shifts, weekends, night shifts and on-call.  It is expected that the on-call requirement will help the transition to consultant practice.

Successful applicants are expected to participate in education and quality improvement projects within the department.

Perioperative medicine

Perioperative medicine is an emerging subspecialty within anaesthesia, as the importance of patient centred perioperative care has become a focus. The department runs specific consultant led high-risk preoperative assessment clinics to assess suitability for surgery and achieve patient optimisation.  Involvement in these clinics will be central to this position. There will be scope for the successful applicant to anaesthetise and participate in the postoperative care of some of these patients.

For interested senior registrars there is provision to gain some experience in transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). We are accredited for training in the Chapter of Perioperative Medicine course.  This option can be explored by individuals who are interested in this pathway.

Obstetric

The obstetric anaesthetic trainee will be provided with ample exposure to routine and complex obstetric cases in a busy tertiary department with close to 4000 deliveries per year. The trainee will function as part of a multidisciplinary team providing excellent care to women and their families at the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children. They will have the opportunity to participate in teaching and supervision of junior trainees, to be involved in quality improvement activities, and to pursue subspecialty areas of interest.

Hepatobiliary and upper GI surgery

The Canberra Hospital provides anaesthesia for a variety of complex open and laparoscopic upper GI surgery including Ivor-Lewis Oesophagectomy, Liver resection, Bariatrics, Pancreatectomy, Adrenalectomy and Gastrectomy. The trainee will participate in all aspects of care for these patients. This 12-month position consists of six months hepatobiliary and Upper GI and six months general.

Anaesthesia (General)

The Department of Anaesthesia, Perioperative Medicine and Pain management at Canberra Hospital provides anaesthesia services for general, hepatobiliary, orthopaedic, cardiothoracic, ENT, paediatric, vascular, maxillofacial, urology and neurosurgery, as well as medical imaging, angiography and electrophysiology studies. The trainee will get broad exposure across these areas with the potential to develop specific interests as opportunities arise.

Key responsibilities

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Provide competent and efficient clinical management of patients of the Health Service under the supervision and direction of the Consultant Medical Practitioner;
• Participate in the ANZCA training programme.  Candidates are expected to have passed the final examination and completed the requirements of advanced training prior to the commencement date of the provisional fellowship;
• Contribute to clinical audit, research and participate in changes that improve quality and safety of patient care;
• Comply with the policies and requirements of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and the policies of the Health Directorate. This includes the promotion and application of workplace relations, workplace equity and diversity and workplace safety;
• Undertake other duties appropriate to this level of classification which contribute to the operation of the organisation.

About you

CHS is committed to workforce diversity and to creating an inclusive workplace. As part of this commitment, we welcome applications from all diversity groups. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with disability and people who identify as LGBTQIA+ are particularly encouraged to apply.

Competencies

• Participate in the supervision, training and professional development of junior medical staff and medical students affiliated with Australian National University;
• Motivated, enthusiastic and able to work effectively with a wide range of people;
• Strong academic and clinical background;
• Good organisational skills and the ability to prioritise tasks and plan well ahead when required to achieve academic goals;
• Demonstrate commitment to training and continuing professional development including participation in relevant teaching programs, activities, and feedback opportunities,
• Ability to work well within a team as both a team leader and a junior member of a team as circumstances dictate; and
• Be responsive to feedback and thrive in an environment where you may be expected to both give and receive feedback on a regular basis.

Qualifications

Essential

• MBBS or equivalent
• Registered or eligible for registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra).
• Tertiary qualifications or equivalent in medicine and eligibility for membership of ANZCA
• Have completed all requirements for the completion of Advanced Training, or be able to show these will be satisfied prior to commencement date of this position
• Be Post Graduate Year (PGY) seven or more
• Have completed at least 48 months of (full time equivalent experience in recognised Registrar training position

Desirable

• Demonstrated interest in research or higher-level academic achievements
• Have an understanding of how the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) indicators align with this role.
• Experience or knowledge of the CHS Exceptional Care Framework, and all other related frameworks.

Please note prior to commencement, successful candidates will be required to:

• Undergo a pre-employment National Police Check.
• Comply with Canberra Health Services Occupational Assessment, Screening and Vaccination policy.

Important information

All employees are required to:

• Adhere to the Canberra Health Services Values and the ACT Public Service Code of Conduct
• Act in accordance and comply with all relevant Safety and Quality policies and procedures.
• Comply with all relevant clinical and/or competency standards.
• Be available for weekend and/or after-hours work.

CHS is leading the drive to digitally transform health service delivery in Australia through the implementation of a territory wide Digital Health Record. Computer literacy skills are required which are relevant to this role as you will be responsible for completing required documentation and becoming a proficient user of the Digital Health Record and/or other Information Technology systems; once proficient, you will need to remain current with changes, updates, and contingencies.

What you require (key selection criteria)

These are the key selection criteria for how you will be assessed in conjunction with your resumé, experience and referee reports.

1. Demonstrated commitment to non-clinical skills such as teaching and/or quality assurance activities.
2. Demonstrated excellent communication skills and an ability to work within a multidisciplinary team.
3. Which fellowship position are you applying for and why? Are you interested in any of the other fellowship positions?
4. Demonstrates understanding of, and adherence to, safety and quality standards, Work Health and Safety and the positive patient experience. Displays behaviour consistent with CHS’s values of reliable, progressive, respectful, and kind.

Work environment description

The following work environment description outlines the inherent requirements of the role and indicates how frequently each of these requirements would need to be performed. Please note that the ACT Public Service is committed to providing reasonable adjustments and ensuring all individuals have equal opportunities in the workplace.