President's Column July 2025

Kia ora from Aotearoa New Zealand. 

Earlier this month, I was delighted to join College staff in Melbourne to welcome our new CEO, Mr Damian Ferrie, and farewell and thank Interim CEO Professor Andrew Way. 

Damian brings to the College a wealth of leadership experience, having successfully led complex health and community organisations through significant growth, transformation, and strategic development. His deep understanding of the mental health service system, operational management, and organisational development makes him well positioned to lead our College.

In coming months, Damian and I will be visiting, meeting and hearing from our members across our various jurisdictions. As a truly bi-national College, it is fitting that Aotearoa is among the first places that Damian is visiting. Today, we are meeting with medical colleges and other stakeholders, hosted by the Medical Council of New Zealand – Te Kaunihera Rata o Aotearoa. 

With new leadership in place, we remain committed to advancing our shared strategic vison of excellence and equity in the provision of mental healthcare. We are firmly focused on building a College that is connected, relevant, and is meaningfully contributing to our members and the communities that we serve.

Best Practice Resources

Upholding professional standards in psychiatry is a core responsibility of the College. Central to this is the development and dissemination of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) and related resources that support safe, high-quality, and consistent care across our health systems.

While this work is essential, developing contemporary, evidence-based CPGs is increasingly complex and resource-intensive. In response, the College is actively exploring new, sustainable approaches such as adapting existing high-quality guidelines, partnering with external organisations, and pursuing funding to support this critical work.

As part of this commitment, I’m pleased to announce the launch of the Best Practice Resources (BPR) Framework – a contemporary approach to developing clinical guidance that is firmly grounded in evidence and informed by the voices of lived experience, including those from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, Māori, and other diverse communities.

The BPR Framework enables members and committees to contribute to the development, adaptation, or endorsement of best practice resources, reflective of local needs and clinical expertise. Whether creating a new resource, adapting an existing one, or seeking College recognition, the framework offers clear, transparent pathways for contribution and collaboration. The College is also exploring opportunities to develop CPGs through scalable, collaborative models, co-designing with external partners, and integrating lived experience and cultural expertise from the outset.

This initiative reflects the College’s evolving approach to standard setting: profession-led, inclusive, and pragmatic. I thank the Committee for Evidence-Based Practice, the Policy Practice and Partnerships Committee, the Compliance and Policy team, and all members who contributed their expertise and insight to this important initiative.

I encourage you to explore the BPR Framework and consider how you might engage with it in your own area of practice.

Strengthening connections

As Damian and I meet with members and stakeholders in Aotearoa this week, it underscores the College’s commitment to meaningful engagement with our New Zealand members and to ensuring that your voices are heard in College planning and priorities.

One the ways we are strengthening connection across our College is through improved recognition, engagement and experience for Affiliate members and Specialist International Medical Graduates (SIMGs). 

Work is underway to develop a pathway to Fellowship for longstanding Affiliate members who meet the required standards, and we are also working to improve the welcome and support new Affiliates receive when they join the College.

The Board has also approved an important change to our membership criteria, so all SIMG members on either the Substantial or Partial Comparability Pathway are automatically granted Associate membership of the College. As Associate Members, SIMGs can gain access to a wide range of professional benefits, including free access to leading psychiatry journals, online learning, Branch and specialist group membership, webinars and podcasts, and exclusive discounts. 

New Zealand Conference

In just over five weeks, the RANZCP 2025 New Zealand Conference will be held in Ōtepoti Dunedin from 8–10 September. This year we will be embracing Hei Whakaora Hinengaro – the concept of healing the mind – with a stellar line up of speakers including Professor Robert Waldinger, Dr Rory Hutchinson, Dr James Le Bas, Professor Traill Dowie and Dr Kate Fulford.

This conference is not just an opportunity to update our clinical knowledge, but also for us to come together as a community, while fostering collaboration across our regions.

He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata.

What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people.

Both in-person and virtual registration options are available and early bird rate ends on 2 August. I look forward to seeing many of you there.

Dr Astha Tomar
RANZCP President



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