Available 24/7, the ANZCA Doctors' Support Program is a professional counselling service that offers confidential support for a variety of work-related and personal problems that may be affecting you at work or at home. It's free for all ANZCA fellows, trainees, SIMGs and immediate family members. Converge counsellors are experienced in working with anaesthetists, pain medicine specialists and individuals in the medical profession.
For urgent assistance, please telephone 1300 687 327 in Australia or 0800 666 367 in New Zealand, and identify yourself as an ANZCA fellow, trainee or SIMG.
Alternatively, you can email [email protected] or download the app using the ANZCA code AUSTLQDU to book your appointment. Converge International gives you access to qualified professionals, including psychologists, social workers, counsellors and management coaches.
Depending on your preference, assistance can be provided face to face, via telephone or online live chat and services are available throughout Australia and New Zealand. They can help with a range of issues and concerns, including:
- Interpersonal conflict and tension.
- Work-related stress.
- Critical incident response.
- Harassment and grievances
- Relationship or family matters.
- Personal and emotional stress.
- Mental health concerns.
- Personal crisis or trauma.
Dedicated Specialist Helplines including Domestic and Family Violence helpline, LGBTQI+ helpline and First Nations helpline, offer a streamlined intake to hand-chosen and credentialled consultants who have deep expertise, lived-experience or qualifications in each area of specialty. Detailed referral databases to local support organisations are available where required. Based on the needs of each caller, a sensitive support plan is put in place.
Sometimes we’re confronted with issues that test our ability to cope. We encourage you to access this service any time you feel you need.
Explore this section
We support a number of services and initiatives which are underpinned by our commitment outlined in our Doctors' Health and Wellbeing Framework.
Our Critical Incident Debriefing Toolkit provides a comprehensive, evidence-based resource on what are critical incidents, how to provide support and a hot debrief following a critical incident. It can be read in sections or as a whole.
We have developed a directory of doctors' health advisory services and helplines in Australia and New Zealand.
ANZCA considers bullying, discrimination and harassment unacceptable behaviour that will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Fellows and trainees acting as college representatives are responsible for ensuring an environment free of this behaviour.
The TWPG helps to provide trainees with tangible and practical outcomes to support their wellbeing and their engagement with the college.
Wellbeing advocates are recommended for all ANZCA and FPM accredited hospitals.
The ANZCA doctors health and wellbeing framework informs our strategic and operational efforts in the wellbeing space.
Find out what else we're doing to improve doctors' health and wellbeing.
This toolkit is a resource to support anaesthesia departments and individual anaesthetists to operationalise a framework they can put into action.
The aim of the Wellbeing SIG is to promote personal wellbeing and to heighten awareness of wellbeing issues in anaesthetists and pain medicine specialists. The group is an informative, educative and referral group; it has no therapeutic role.