Public consultation on New Zealand’s new Mental Health Bill is currently underway. Following written submissions by Tu Te Akaaka Roa (the College’s New Zealand National Committee) and the NZ Faculty of Forensic Psychiatry, Dr Oliver Hansby (New Zealand National Committee member) and Carolyn Swanson (Lived Experience Member and RANZCP Honorary Fellow), presented our views via the oral submission process earlier this month. Several other members also provided written and oral submissions to assist the Select Committee to better understand key areas of concern regarding the proposed changes to the Mental Health Act. I thank everyone who took the time to respond to our survey or supported this mahi in any way. 

On the CPD front, we are continuing to invest in improvements that will help members complete their continuing professional development requirements each year. We’ve recently added a selection of Australasian Psychiatry journal articles to Learnit – focusing on each of the four domains (Culturally safe practice, Addressing health inequities, Professionalism, and Ethics) – with Learnit module completions automatically recorded in MyCPD. And a reminder that the 2024 CPD claim period ends earlier this year, at midnight AEDT on 2 March 2025.

Applications are now open for the gamadji nanggit Scholarship which is designed to support the leadership skills of the next generation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander psychiatrists. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander RANZCP trainees and Fellows who are in their first five years post Fellowship are encouraged to apply by 31 March.

RANZCP trainees continue to make remarkable contributions towards psychiatry. In this month’s Psyche, we feature Dr Joanna Blades and Dr Yun Ming Yong, winners of the 2024 Beverley Raphael New Investigator Grant, and Dr Sean Halstead, recipient of the 2024 RANZCP Foundation PhD scholarship.

I recently had the pleasure of a conversation with Dr Ettore Guaia and Dr Sadaf Khan about their personal experiences with visual impairments, and the importance of disability advocacy within psychiatry. Their stories offer invaluable lessons on resilience, adaptation, and the importance of understanding diverse perspectives to strengthen psychiatry. 

And for Women’s History Month in March, the Psych Matters podcast team will be releasing thought-provoking panel discussions with prominent women in psychiatry on a range of topics such as women mentoring women, Mary Barkas: the forgotten pioneer of psychiatry and more! Subscribe to Psych Matters now to dive into these insightful discussions.

Lastly, as the holy month of Ramadan begins, I would like to extend my warmest wishes to all our members observing this special time. May this period bring you peace and prosperity. Ramadan Mubarak to you and your loved ones.

Dr Elizabeth Moore
RANZCP President