Monthly media digest: October/November 2026

National Anaesthesia Day

ANZCA warning on surgery and GLP-1s, peptides

ANZCA President Dr Tanya Selak was interviewed by Australia's News Limited newspapers for print and online articles on 4 October warning people taking weight-loss drugs and peptides to be aware of gastric emptying complications.

ANZCA's media release highlighted the issue ahead of National Anaesthesia Day on 16 October.

The article was covered in print and online in The Herald Sun, the Sunday Mail (Qld), the Cairns Post, the Geelong Advertiser and the Sunday Tasmanian.  

ANZCA responds to article in The Age on rostering arrangements at Melbourne private hospitals.

An article published in The Age in print and online on 3 October referred to concerns raised about rostering arrangemtns at two Melbourne private hospitals for male and female anaesthrtists.

The article reported that while women anaesthetists secured just a fraction of the obstetric work at the two major private hospitals between August and April next year, they make up 36 per cent of ANZCA fellows and 43 per cent of trainees.

Dr Selak was quoted saying: “While we do not know the exact circumstances behind the rostering examples highlighted, gender disparities in the provision of anaesthesia services are concerning given our focus on this issue.”