Name: Richard George Walsh
Qualifications:
MB BS, University of Sydney (1974)
FANZCA, 1992 (FFARACS, 1980)
Date of Birth: 30 August 1949
Richard George Walsh was born in Sydney in 1949. Following secondary school he studied medicine at the University of Sydney, graduating MB BS in 1974. In 1976 he began training in anaesthesia and, in 1980, gained his FFARACS (Fellowship of the Faculty of Anaesthetists, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons). Walsh was elected to the Board of the Faculty in 1988, and was a member of the last Board of the Faculty, and the first Council of the newly formed Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA). He served the Australian Society of Anaesthetists (ASA) and the College in various senior capacities, and he was President of the College from 1998 to 2000.
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Richard George Walsh was born on 30 August 1949 in Sydney, New South Wales. He was educated locally, completing his secondary schooling at Barker College, Hornsby, in 1967. Following secondary school, he enrolled in medicine at the University of Sydney, graduating MB BS in 1974. After graduation, Walsh spent a year as an Intern Medical Officer at the Royal Prince Alfred and Parramatta District hospitals in Sydney. This was followed by a year as Resident Medical Officer at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in 1975.
In 1976, Walsh became a registered anaesthesia trainee with the Faculty of Anaesthetists, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, passing his final examination in May, 1979, and gaining his FFARACS (Fellowship of the Faculty of Anaesthetists, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons) in January 1980.
From 1976 to 1979, Walsh was a Registrar in Anaesthetics & Intensive Care, gaining extensive experience while working at the Royal Prince Alfred, Royal Alexandria Hospital for Children, and Balmain District Hospital. After attaining his FFARACS, he was appointed Staff Specialist Anaesthetist at the Prince of Wales and Prince Henry Hospitals, and, also in 1980, Visiting Medical Officer (Anaesthetics and Medical Perfusion) at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. He continues to hold that position at RPAH, where his primary clinical practice is based.
In 1991, Walsh also became Visiting Medical (Anaesthetics and Medical Perfusion) at a number of private hospitals in Sydney, including Strathfield Private Hospital, Mater Hospital and Macquarie University Hospital, amongst others.
While forging his clinical career, Walsh also became directly involved with both the Australian Society of Anaesthetists (ASA) and the Faculty of Anaesthetists. From 1986, he was the Convenor of the 1996 World Congress of Anaesthesiologists Steering Committee, and then Chair of the World Congress of Anaesthesiologists Organising Committee, and finally President of the 1996 World Congress of Anaesthesiologists in Sydney. He continued his global interests serving on the Executive Committee of the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists (WFSA) from 1998 to 2008, including eight years as Treasurer of the WFSA.
Becoming a member of the ASA in 1976, Walsh held a number of positions within the organisation, including NSW Committee of Management (1982 – 1987), Federal Executive Committee (1982 – 1987), Reporting Member (1988 – 2000), Honorary Assistant Federal Secretary (1982 – 1983, 1986 – 1987), Honorary Federal Secretary (1983 – 1986), Federal Education Committee (1984 – 1987), Federal Financial Committee (1985 – 1987), and AGM Scientific Programme Committee (1987).
Similarly, when he began working directly with the Faculty of Anaesthetists, he took on a number of roles with a range of committees, including Panel of Examiners, Final Examiner (Anaesthesia) (1986 – 1992), Final Examination (Anaesthesia) Committee (1989 – 1992) and Co-Convenor, Annual Anaesthetic Registrars Scientific Meeting (1988). Between 1989 and 1992, he was also involved with the NSW Regional Committee, Education Committee, Hospital Accreditation Committee, Manpower Committee and worked as an Assistant Assessor. In 1988 he was elected to the Board of the Faculty, and between 1990 and 1992 was Chair of the Continuing Education and Quality Assurance Committee and the Combined Continuing Education Committee of FARACS, ASA and NZSA, while also being on the FARACS-RACGP-NAGPA Liaison Committee on General Practitioner Anaesthesia. In 1991, Walsh was also the Convenor (Faculty of Anaesthetists), General Scientific Meeting of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.
Plans for the separation of the Faculty from the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons had been in train for some time, and in 1992, as part of the last Board of the Faculty, Richard Walsh helped oversee the transition from Faculty to College, and became a member of the first Council of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA). In 1993, ANZCA relocated to its new headquarters at 630 St Kilda Road, Melbourne.
Walsh maintained a position on the ANZCA Council until 2000. During that time, he was again active in a number of roles and on a number of committees. In 1996, he was elected Vice President and, in 1998 was elected President, serving a full two year term.
During his time on the ANZCA Council, Walsh continued to advance his career. In 1997 he was appointed Relieving Visiting Medical Officer (Anaesthetics and Medical Perfusion) at Liverpool Hospital, Sydney, a position he held until 2005. From 2001 to the present, he has been Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Anaesthetics at the University of Sydney, and, in 2011, was appointed Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Anaesthesia at Macquarie University.
Walsh was appointed to the Health and Conduct Committees of the NSW Medical Board in 2002. Since then, he has contributed to the regulation of the profession through the Medical Council (previously Board) of NSW (MCNSW) under the umbrella of the Medical Board of Australia. He is currently (2017) Deputy President of the Medical Council of NSW and serves as a member of most Committees of the MCNSW. He is the ANZCA nominated member of the MCNSW, noting that some lobbying was required until ANZCA was finally recognised to be able to nominate a Councillor. He has recently attended national and international conferences on medical profession regulation, while maintaining an active clinical practice in Sydney.
OTHER AWARDS AND HONOURS
Honorary Federal Secretary Special Award, ASA (1988)
Gilbert Brown Award, ASA (1996)
Pask Certificate of Honour, Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain & Ireland (1997)
Honorary Fellow and Academician, Academy of Medicine, Singapore (1998)
Honorary Corresponding Member, German Society of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine (1998)
Honorary Fellow, College of Anaesthetists, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (2000)
Centenary Medal of Australia (2002)
REFERENCES
The information in these biographies has been researched via the ANZCA Archives with the assistance of the individual Fellows.
IMAGES
- Portrait of Richard George Walsh, 1992