Intensive care in Australia and New Zealand - No nonsense ''down under''

Although they are separate countries with separate health systems, Australia and New Zealand have a joint Intensive Care Society (ANZICS) and postgraduate medical training programs. Intensive care is well established with regional intensive care units providing tertiary referral facilities and staffed mainly by full-time intensivists. Training is structured and closely supervised with a Fellowship diploma providing recognition of completion of training. ANZICS provides a focus for continuing medical education, quality assurance activities, presentation of research and representation to other organizations. Pressure on health funding, health system reorganization and a desire to contribute more to intensive care research are the principle challenges now facing Australian and New Zealand intensive care.